SUMMARY: An evidence label tells the reader what kind of support a claim has and how much review it has received.
A site can publish true information in a confusing way. A log line, forum observation, headline link, screenshot, memory, or secondhand report may all point toward reality, but they should not carry the same weight.
Evidence labels reduce accidental certainty. They let an operator say: this is observed, this is verified, this is sourced, this is inferred, this is unresolved, and this is ready for review.
Label Types
Observed: seen directly in logs, pages, chat, analytics, or public output.
Verified: checked against a second source, repeatable test, or durable record.
Inferred: likely from the available evidence, but not proven by direct observation.
Unresolved: meaningful enough to preserve, but not ready to treat as settled.
Operating Use
Use evidence labels in reviews, forum prompts, headline source notes, security summaries, and corrections. They extend the source ladder into daily operating language.
Operator Rule
When the evidence state changes, the label should change before the story does.
Field assessment: clarity begins before certainty.