From Distorted
Follow the Revision
Keep the first claim and each meaningful update together. Explain what changed, why it changed if known, and what remains unclear.
A statement may change because of new facts, an error, or a new meaning for a word. Sometimes no reason is given. A timeline helps you check what happened in order.
Worked example
Fictional example. The town, repairs, statements, dates, and records below are invented. The two later accounts show different ways the same imagined event could be reported.
Original · May 4, 2026
“The east footbridge repairs will be complete by Friday, May 8.”
Source: Town maintenance webpage. Publication date: May 4, 2026. Capture date: May 4, 2026. A capture date is when a copy was saved.
Context: The announcement says when repairs will finish. It does not say when the bridge will reopen after its safety check.
Evidence available then: A linked schedule lists work through Friday. The reader has not checked the engineering report behind it. We know only part of the reason for that schedule.
Initial assessment: The town gives a firm finish date. The schedule does not prove the work could be done by then.
Account A · An explained update
Published and captured: May 7, 2026.
“Repairs are now expected to finish Monday, May 11. Additional damage was identified during Wednesday's work. This revises the Friday completion date in our May 4 announcement. The bridge will remain closed until the subsequent safety inspection is complete.”
New evidence: A linked inspection note from May 6 describes the new damage and work needed. The update links to the first announcement too. In the quote, “subsequent” means the safety check comes after repairs.
Substance of the change: The finish date moves from May 8 to May 11. “Will be complete” becomes “expected to finish.” That wording is less certain. Finishing repairs and reopening the bridge are shown as separate events.
What the record supports: The town explains the change. Its note was written at the time and supports the reason given. Readers can check it. The documents do not prove the first plan was sound or that the new date will be met.
Account B · An unexplained replacement
Captured: May 7, 2026. Publication or edit date: Not shown.
“Footbridge repairs are progressing. Reopening details will follow.”
Evidence and explanation: No new document or update note is shown. In this version of events, the same page has replaced the Friday announcement. The reader saved a full copy of the earlier page.
Substance of the change: The finish date disappears. The new statement mentions reopening, which comes after repairs.
What the record supports: Words seen on May 4 are missing from the copy saved May 7. We do not know exactly when or why they changed. That gap is worth checking. It does not prove that anyone meant to hide the change.
The same delay could explain both accounts. Account A gives readers more to check.
Preserve versions before interpreting them
Save full copies when you can. Include the source and nearby text. Date your own notes separately. The date you saved a copy may differ from when the author published or changed it.
If a version is missing, say so. If you found its words quoted elsewhere, name that source. A saved claim can still be wrong.
Include later corrections when discussing an error. Keeping only the mistake can mislead readers too.
Blank worksheet
Copy these prompts into your own document. If you do not know, write “unknown.” Add an entry each time the meaning changes. Keep private details out of copies you share.
To print the blank worksheet, choose Print in your browser.
Fill in this worksheet
Open one part at a time. Type your notes in the boxes. Use “unknown” when you do not have an answer.
Copy or download your notes before leaving this page.
This page does not save your notes. Printing this page prints the blank worksheet below, without these typed notes. To print your notes, copy them into a document first.
1 · Establish the original
2 · Add a revision
3 · Write a provisional assessment
Provisional means this is your current view. It can change as you learn more.
Select this text and use Copy on your device. Then paste it into a document to keep it.
1 · Establish the original
Claim or question I am following:
Exact words of the first claim:
Who said or wrote it:
First source or web address:
Date it was published, if known:
When the event happened or figures were measured, if different:
When I saved it and where the copy is:
Who it was meant for, nearby text, and any stated limits:
Evidence available then and where to find it:
What that evidence supports and what it cannot show:
2 · Add a revision
Update number:
Exact new words:
Source or web address:
Date it was published or changed, if known:
When the event happened or figures were measured, if different:
When I saved it and where the copy is:
What changed: a fact, who or what the claim covers, a word's meaning, how certain it sounds, advice, or how it is shown?
New evidence and when people could see it:
Reason the author gave for the change, if any:
Was the change pointed out? Could earlier readers find it?
Does the new account describe the earlier claim fairly?
What the evidence explains and what is still unknown:
3 · Write a provisional assessment
Provisional means this is your current view. It can change as you learn more.
Date of my review:
The first claim was:
The new account changed:
The evidence given for the change was:
The record supports:
It does not prove:
Missing records or other explanations to check:
What would change my view:
Next source to check or date to return:
Keep the conclusion smaller than the gap
For Account B, “the deadline disappeared from the captured page without an explanation” describes the evidence. “The town knew it could never finish on time” claims to know what people thought. This record cannot show that.
New evidence may support a stronger conclusion. Add it, date it, and explain why your view changed. Then another reader can follow your reasoning too.
Next: Start your revision record with the first claim's exact words and the earliest full version you can find.
From the book
This exercise builds on Distorted, Chapters 2, 5, 6, and 26, especially the need to keep the full context and include corrections. It uses the Clarity Framework: Investigate Claims, Verify Facts, and Live with Discernment.
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