Add-on store for core node operators?

I've been brainstorming this idea of setting up an add-on store specifically for core node operators. It would be like a website or app where you can pick and install your preferred filters right on your core node. The issue I'm looking to tackle is the centralization of mempool policy. For the last five years, during this ongoing spam onslaught, the core team has stubbornly refused to give nodes the proper filters they need. Remember when Luke Dashjr suggested a filter for inscriptions? Yeah, core shot that down, deciding that nodes (which make up 99% of the network) shouldn't have that option. Same goes for the op_return filter. About a year back, core decided their nodes were no longer allowed to run the op_return data carrier filter. This is peak centralization, and it’s something we need to push back against. So, I’m thinking about launching an app store for core nodes. It could feature all sorts of add-ons you could install. Want to reinstate the op_return filter on your core 30 node? No issue, there’s an app for that. Want an ordinal filter on your core node? No problem, there’s an app for that too. Each filter would come with a tutorial video explaining what it does, the default settings, why those are set that way, and how you can tweak them. Any developer could pitch in and submit their own add-on to the store. What do you all think?

How would a third party website or app override changes and updates made on Bitcoin core which nodes use to connect to the network? If that were possible we would have people creating such applications and allowing different features, even potential security risks that were discovered and fixed at an earlier time.

When trying to make changes or additions to node running software, especially bitcoin's, the concept of consensus tears a huge hole through your idea. Upgrade mentioned a good flaw with a core app store being the security risks. Not many people would come together on a consensus to support something that would breed security risks because of third party developers creating apps that very few people would use on a third party website. You'd be dealing with people of a cypherpunk mindset, and your idea sounds alot like how they view browser extensions. Many people concerned with opsec hate extensions for the security risks, and use as few, or none at all, at all times. There's also overcomplication. Core is supposed to be software level node running software to keep bitcoin decentralized alongside miners. There's no reason to have an app store for it. This sounds like something Solana or some other smart contract-centered chain would appeal to.

Do you mean that your idea is to download a Chrome Web Store extension or Add-ons for Firefox to do something like that It will be difficult to convince them of the need to download this add-on.

Never going to work. Nobody who is sane is going to want to have 3rd party things installed on their node if they have any BTC in it. If some malicious setting comes in, are you going to take responsibility for it if someone looses money? Just about anything that matters can be changed by putting a line of text in the conf file which you can do by hand anyway. -Dave

Which means, that you want to also make block propagation worse. Because there is a difference between having a few transactions, which are relayed only by some nodes, and between making a completely different block, than everyone else. If each and every miner would produce a completely different 4 MB block, then block propagation would be terrible, because everyone would need to always download everything. And you know why? Because if transactions won't be relayed in the P2P network, then they would be passed outside of it. Which means, that people will submit them to the biggest mining pools, and smaller ones will never hear about such transactions. The fact, that things like Slipstream exists at all, is a clear sign, that too many transactions were blocked. Because otherwise, people would just relay them in the P2P network, and they wouldn't need to submit them through such centralized places. You can stop relaying any transactions at all, if you want to. There are some nodes, which can only relay blocks. And then, you will block all existing spam. But of course, if more people would do that, then you would need to be a miner, to use the network.

First and foremost each filter or add-on would be posted on github, open source, and reviewable by anyone who wishes to do so. I see 3 different ways this could be implemented: 1- Each add-on would have to decompile the core code, edit it to add the filter, and recompile. This way, you could keep the "Core" label on the box. But it's not a very efficient way to do things. 2- Not touch the core code at all. But instead, we put the filter "on the wire" ahead of the node to intercept all incoming transactions and filter at that level. So say you want to filter large op_returns. All incoming large op_return would be intercepted and blocked ahead of the node. So filtered before the node even sees it. 3- A new implementation client based on core. Maybe branded Core++ ? This implementation would be identical to core, but with the ability to add "filter add-ons". I tend to prefer the 3rd option. But not sure at the moment. At this point you are not even worth replying to. You mean like the confiscation bug in core 30 that was deleting wallets? Like that? Nothing is 100% proof safe. Core 30 deleting wallets is a pretty good example of this. And it's pretty evident when core was warned of this problem before they even launched core 30, and ignored the concerns. But like everything else in bitcoin,  the filters would be open source, posted on github, and reviewable. Could a bug or exploit occur? Sure! But are we going to pretend that never happens with holier than thou core software?