diff --git a/proposals/2002-rooms-v4.md b/proposals/2002-rooms-v4.md new file mode 100644 index 00000000..defacee1 --- /dev/null +++ b/proposals/2002-rooms-v4.md @@ -0,0 +1,54 @@ +# MSC 2002 - Rooms V4 + +This MSC proposes creating a new room version named v4 to allow servers to switch +event ID grammar to that proposed in MSC1884. + +## Proposal + +The new room version is called "4". The only difference between v4 and v3 is +that v4 rooms use the grammar for defining event IDs as proposed in MSC1884 - +expressing event IDs as url-safe base64 rather than plain base64 for the +convenience of client implementors. + +It is not proposed that servers change the default room version used when +creating new rooms, and it is not proposed that servers recommend upgrading +existing rooms to v4. + +## Rationale and Context + +We would like to default to creating rooms with a reasonably secure room +algorithm in upcoming Matrix 1.0. We do not want to default to creating v3 +rooms due to the inconvenience the v3 event ID grammar might cause, so instead +we are proposing favouring v4. + +Ideally we would also include other room algorithm changes in v4 (e.g. +honouring server signing key validity periods, as per +https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/issues/4364), but as spec & +implementation work is still ongoing there, we are proposing using v4 as a +room version which can be supported in the wild before Matrix 1.0 and then +used as the initial default for creating rooms. The expectation is for the +versions of the spec which coincide with 1.0 to also support v5 rooms, but in +practice v5 will not be marked as default until it has sufficient adoption on +the public network. + +The expectation is never to recommend upgrading existing +rooms to v4, but instead v5 (once ready), to avoid overburdening room admins +with upgrade notifications. + +To conclude, the proposed plan is: + 1. Define room v4 as MSC1884 + 2. Introduce servers with v4 support into the public network as rapidly as possible + 3. Wait for enough servers to speak v4. Meanwhile: + 1. Define an MSC for honouring server signing key validity periods + 2. Implement this MSC + 3. Define room v5 as this MSC + 4. Release Matrix 1.0, defining room v4 as the new default for creating rooms, + but also shipping support for room v5 for the first time. + 5. Wait for enough servers to speak v5 rooms. + 6. Define room v5 as the new default for creating rooms. + 7. Define room versions prior to v5 as unsafe, thus prompting users to upgrade their + rooms to v5. + +The reason we don't wait for v5 to be widespread before releasing 1.0 is to avoid +delaying the 1.0 yet further. It is good enough for 1.0 to support v5 without it +also being the default for creating rooms.