Why every line in a report links to a source

Because a report nobody can check is an opinion. Every claim carries the page, the header or the archive it came from, and a missing source is shown as missing.

A report that says "this site is slow" is an opinion. A report that says "this page took 4.1 seconds to respond on the third try, here is the request" is something you can argue with, forward, or act on. We build the second kind, and the rule that makes it possible is simple: no line without a source.

The rule in practice

Each section of a report names where its facts came from and links to it. If that place is a page on the site, the link opens the page. If it is an archive, the link opens the archive's own record. If a source did not answer, the section says so in those words.

What this rules out

Scores. A single number out of a hundred hides the reasoning, and the reasoning is the product. There are no grades on a report, only observations, each with its receipt.

What it costs

Space. A sourced report is longer than a scored one. We think that is the right trade, and the print stylesheet keeps the long version readable on paper.