What options were considered?

Act on the message and verify the result; Keep it as context when no action is called for

Learning · Published October 2, 2026

Choosing the source of truth for technical decisions

Q: What was decided, and why?

Act on the message and verify the result. They chose to act on the message because it was based on recorded decisions, which provided a clear answer. This approach allowed them to verify the result against existing documentation. By doing so, they could ensure that their understanding was accurate and up-to-date.

Deciding on a source of truth

The situation

They were unsure about what had been decided regarding a key technical aspect, and needed to clarify the source of truth for future reference. This decision would impact how they would proceed with their work. They had to consider where to look for the most accurate information. The choice was between relying on a specific message or treating it as background context.

What they weighed

Act on the message and verify the result
Chosen
Keep it as context when no action is called for

What they decided

Act on the message and verify the result

Why

They chose to act on the message because it was based on recorded decisions, which provided a clear answer. This approach allowed them to verify the result against existing documentation. By doing so, they could ensure that their understanding was accurate and up-to-date.

The first step

State the decided source of truth

How they would know it worked

The answer matches existing documentation

How it turned out

Not known yet. The result is added here when it comes in.

Shared by the person who made this decision. Names, places, dates and numbers were removed before it was published.