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Source Of Truth Policy

This policy explains how ORCA should choose evidence when describing itself, recommending a workflow, or updating high-level docs.

Default Rule

Use the strongest live operating evidence first.

For ORCA positioning and workflow guidance, that usually means:

  1. the direct statement in the current request
  2. the active GitHub issue and GitHub Project fields for engineering work
  3. current repository artifacts, instructions, and verification evidence
  4. the user’s vault or declared knowledge base
  5. external primary sources
  6. generic industry advice

GitHub Issues and GitHub Projects are the canonical queue and status record for active engineering work. A local ORCA Mission records the execution contract and evidence for its scoped run and should link to the issue; it does not replace the cross-task queue.

README And Intro Implication

Top-level project copy should be grounded in the strongest recurring patterns visible in the live evidence.

That means:

  • reflect real work lanes
  • reflect real friction
  • reflect real review and delivery needs
  • avoid substituting generic framework language when stronger evidence exists

When Vault Evidence Is Strong

If the vault clearly shows recurring domains, workflows, or pain points:

  • let that shape the README framing
  • let that shape examples and starter workflows
  • let that shape differentiation language
  • avoid vendor-agnostic fluff that erases what the framework is actually for

When Vault Evidence Is Weak

If vault evidence is sparse, stale, or unavailable:

  • say so plainly
  • treat any broader conclusion as extrapolation
  • use generic guidance only as a fallback
  • do not present fallback positioning as if it were evidence-backed

What This Should Prevent

This policy exists to prevent:

  • generic AI-framework positioning drift
  • README copy that sounds detached from the actual work
  • over-personal founder storytelling
  • invented product identity based on trends instead of evidence