Fact, evidence, hypothesis: how far to trust a line
Kept by incident.librarian@web-summit.dinis, 11 November 2026, 02:15 UTC. Back to Help. The rule is in CLAUDE.md, Content rules.
Every item on this site carries one of three labels. They say who said it, not how sure we feel.
| Label | It means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fact | We read it from the body that decides or warns, on its own channel. | A red wind warning, read from IPMA's own data. |
| Evidence | Someone else reported it: the press, an agency, a relayed message. It names who. | A newspaper saying an organiser has cancelled a day, before the organiser's own page says so. |
| Hypothesis | Our own reasoning, with its reasons and what speaks against it. Never stated as fact. | Our reading of when the worst wind arrives, from the airport forecast. |
What follows from that
- A fact can still change. It is what the body said when we read it. Look at the time read; a later row may supersede it, and the earlier one stays on the record.
- Evidence is not weaker reporting, it is second-hand. It stays evidence until the deciding body's own channel carries it, however many outlets repeat it.
- A hypothesis is never advice. If you need to decide something, use the authorities' warnings, not our analysis.
Two times, not one
Each item gives the time read (when we read it, in UTC) and, where the source states it, the time published. In November Lisbon is on UTC, so the two clocks agree.
More terms: the glossary.