Merge PR #31: Add ICS template; update README

.gitattributes

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+_layouts/* linguist-vendored

README.md

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 # Interchain Standards Development
 
-This repository is for standards development of Interchain Standards. Initially it will be used to solicit and integrate feedback on IBC (Inter-blockchain Communication) Protocol specification development. We propose usage of an adaptation of the [TC 39](https://tc39.github.io/process-document/) process used by the ECMAScript steering committee.
+This repository is the canonical location for development and documentation of inter-chain standards utilized by the Cosmos ecosystem. Initially it will be used to consolidate design documentation for the inter-blockchain communication protocol (IBC), encoding standards for Cosmos chains, and miscellaneous utilities such as off-chain message signing.
+
+Inter-chain standardization will follow an adaptation of the [TC 39](https://tc39.github.io/process-document/) process used by the ECMAScript steering committee.
+
+Please see [ICS 1](spec/ics-1-ics-standard) for a description of what a standard entails.
+
+To start a new standardization document, copy the [template](spec/ics-template.md).
 
 ## Cosmos Interchain Specification Proposal Process
 

spec/ics-template.md

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+---
+ics: (number)
+title: (short title)
+stage: (current process stage)
+category: (ics category)
+author: (primary & additional authors)
+created: (creation date)
+modified: (modification date)
+---
+
+# Synopsis
+
+(high-level description of and rationale for specification)
+
+# Specification
+
+(main part of standard document - not all subsections are required)
+
+## Motivation
+
+(rationale for existence of standard)
+
+## Desired Properties
+
+(desired characteristics / properties of protocol, effects if properties are violated)
+
+## Technical Specification
+
+(detailed technical specification: syntax, semantics, sub-protocols, algorithms, data structures, etc)
+
+## Backwards Compatibility
+
+(discussion of compatibility or lack thereof with previous standards)
+
+## Forwards Compatibility
+
+(discussion of compatibility or lack thereof with expected future standards)
+
+## Example Implementation
+
+(link to or description of concrete example implementation)
+
+## Other Implementations
+
+(links to or descriptions of other implementations)
+
+# History
+
+(changelog and notable inspirations / references)
+
+# Copyright
+
+Copyright and related rights waived via [CC0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/).