Problem:

Proposal for Integrating SimScore into Arbitrum’s Forum

Problem Statement Arbitrum’s forum is highly active, often hosting 20 or more active topics daily with numerous replies per topic. For example, a single topic may require up to 110 minutes of reading time. This volume, combined with the forum’s chronological structure, makes it challenging for contributors to follow discussions, leading to slow deliberation times and potentially inaccurate decisions. During Snapshot and Tally votes, the forum is also used to gather community opinions and voting justifications, further compounding the difficulty of managing and synthesizing input effectively.

Proposed Solution SimScore offers a token-weighted clustering and prioritization method designed to help delegates and proposers identify the most critical issues. By presenting a clear, ranked list of priorities, SimScore enables contributors to focus their energy on what matters most, facilitating quicker, more accurate decision-making. This approach streamlines discussions, reduces cognitive load, and enhances the productivity of both contributors and the DAO as a whole.

SimScore operates seamlessly by analyzing forum replies to generate prioritization reports, without adding extra workload for delegates. The reports rank issues based on token-weighted inputs, providing a toggle between chronological order and priority order for contributors’ convenience.

Proposal Overview We propose a three-month trial period to evaluate SimScore’s impact on Arbitrum’s forum efficiency and decision-making processes. During this period:

1. Manual Prioritization Reports: SimScore staff will manually scrape forum data and update prioritization reports daily for active topics.
2. Quadratic Token Weighting: Token weights will be integrated into these reports to reflect contributors’ preferences and influence.
3. Convenient Accessibility: Reports will be posted within each topic thread, allowing contributors to toggle between chronological and priority views.

Example Use Case A forum topic with 100 replies and 110 minutes of reading time will be analyzed by SimScore to produce a ranked list of the most critical points. Contributors can focus directly on these points, reducing deliberation time and improving the quality of feedback.

Road Map

1. Trial Period (3 months)
   • Manually scrape forum data and create daily prioritization reports.
   • Integrate quadratic token weighting.
   • Collect feedback from contributors and delegates.
2. Post-Trial Automation
   • Develop and deploy a Discourse plug-in to automate the prioritization process.
   • Refine the system based on trial feedback.
3. Enhancing Decision-Making
   • Target Superforecasters within the community to leverage their open-mindedness and consistent decision-making quality.
   • Incorporate Superforecasters’ insights into the prioritization reports, further enhancing the DAO’s decision-making processes.
   • Integrate AI Sensemaking and Deliberation tools (Harmonica) to Forum workflows, taking full advantage of wisdom of crowds technology and generative AI.

Benefits

• Improved Efficiency: Reduced deliberation times by focusing on top-ranked issues.
• Enhanced Decision Accuracy: Prioritization ensures attention is directed toward the most critical topics.
• Contributor Satisfaction: Streamlined discussions reduce cognitive load, making participation easier and more effective.