Figure out how to automate recurring polls on Snapshot

Description

• This task is dedicating to finding out how to automate recurring polls on Snapshot
• It can be useful for Registration Polls, OPF Trees, and many other purposes involving weekly or monthly polls

Related Chats

Related Notes

• In February i asked chatgpt about automating recurring polls right after one another as part of the research for Develop Optimism Fractal’s Consensus Processes
• This research is related and may be helpful for the more general task of automating recurring polls on Snapshot, though it’s also a more complex use case and might not be completely relevant here

Implementing a snapshot strategy where one poll automatically starts immediately after another poll ends would typically involve a few key components:

1. Poll Scheduling System: This system would keep track of when a poll ends and schedule the next poll to start immediately afterward. It might involve a simple database to store the start and end times of polls.
2. Event-Driven Architecture: When a poll ends, an event is triggered. This event would be captured by a listener which then initiates the start of the next poll.
3. Automation Script or Service: A script or a dedicated service would be required to handle the logic of starting a new poll once the previous one ends. This script would interact with the poll system's API to create and launch the new poll.
4. Error Handling and Notifications: Ensuring that the system robustly handles any failures (like network issues or API failures) and notifies the relevant parties if a poll does not start as expected.
5. Time Zone and Scheduling Considerations: If the polls are global, handling different time zones might be necessary. Additionally, the system should account for any scheduling conflicts or special scenarios like holidays or maintenance windows.

Feasibility and Difficulty:

• Technical Complexity: Moderately complex. Requires good understanding of event-driven architecture, API interactions, and possibly database management.
• Development Time: This depends on the complexity of the existing poll system and its API. If the API is well-documented and supports these actions, it could be relatively straightforward. Otherwise, it might require more in-depth development.
• Maintenance: Once set up, the system should run automatically, but it will require ongoing maintenance to ensure it operates smoothly and to handle any edge cases or errors that arise.
• Scalability: If the number of polls or the frequency increases significantly, the system should be designed to scale accordingly.

In summary, building such a system is feasible and would be of moderate complexity. The key would be ensuring robust event handling, error management, and smooth interaction with the existing poll system's infrastructure.

Are there any snapshot strategies that offer something similar that are available to use or built already?

ChatGPT

As of my last update in April 2023, there were several snapshot and polling systems with varying capabilities, but it's important to note that the specifics of your requirement — a system where one poll automatically starts immediately after another poll ends — may not be a standard feature in most off-the-shelf software. However, some platforms may offer features that could be adapted to achieve this functionality. Here are a few possibilities:

1. Customizable Survey Tools: Platforms like SurveyMonkey, Typeform, or Google Forms often offer scheduling features, but they might not have the exact "back-to-back" poll scheduling you're looking for. However, they often have APIs that could potentially be used to build a custom solution.
2. Event-Driven Workflow Automation Tools: Services like Zapier or IFTTT can automate workflows based on triggers and actions. For instance, the end of a poll (trigger) could automatically initiate the start of a new poll (action). The feasibility of this depends on the polling platform’s integration capabilities with these tools.
3. Online Voting Systems: Some advanced online voting systems might have more sophisticated scheduling features that could be closer to what you're looking for. However, these are often geared towards formal elections or organizational voting rather than casual or frequent polling.
4. Custom Development on Collaboration Platforms: If you're using a collaboration platform like Slack or Microsoft Teams, it's possible to develop custom bots or integrations that could manage polls in the way you describe. This would likely require custom development but could offer a seamless experience within an existing communication ecosystem.
5. Blockchain-based Voting Systems: In the context of blockchain, Snapshot is a well-known tool for off-chain voting (polling) with token-based governance. While it might not have the sequential polling feature built-in, its open-source nature allows for customization.
6. Dedicated Polling Software with API Access: Some dedicated polling software might offer API access, which would allow a developer to create a custom solution that schedules polls back-to-back.

It's important to assess these options based on your specific needs, including the scale of your polls, the frequency, the audience, and the level of integration required with other systems. If an off-the-shelf solution does not exist, it might be worth considering custom development, especially if you have access to technical resources. Always verify the current capabilities and integrations of these tools, as software features can evolve rapidly.

Please search bing. Are there any snapshot.org strategies that offer something similar that are available to use or built already?

ChatGPT

From a quick search, here's what I discovered.

Snapshot.org offers a highly customizable platform for DAOs, DeFi protocols, and NFT communities to conduct voting without gas fees. Although it doesn't specifically mention a feature that allows a poll to automatically start immediately after another poll ends, the platform's flexibility in setting up voting strategies and validations might be used to create a workflow that achieves a similar result.

Snapshot's voting system allows for the creation of different voting strategies, where a strategy is essentially a JavaScript function that returns a score for a set of addresses. These strategies enable Snapshot to calculate the final result of voting on a given proposal. This means that you can set up custom strategies to meet specific polling requirements. However, this would likely involve some level of programming to create a strategy that automatically triggers a new poll at the end of an existing one.

Moreover, Snapshot supports the creation of sub-spaces, which allows you to link multiple spaces and set different settings for each, depending on your needs. This could potentially be used to manage a series of polls where one leads into another, although it may not be as automated as desired.

In terms of voting types, Snapshot offers several methods including approval voting, quadratic voting, and more, each with its own set of characteristics and applications. This flexibility in voting types adds to the versatility of the platform in handling various polling scenarios.

Overall, while Snapshot may not offer an out-of-the-box solution for automatically starting a poll immediately after another ends, its high customization potential, including the ability to create custom voting strategies and manage sub-spaces, might be adapted to create a similar workflow. This would, however, require some technical expertise in setting up and possibly programming custom strategies. For more detailed information about Snapshot’s capabilities and how to set up voting strategies and other features, you can refer to their documentation at Snapshot Docs.

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