Field note / 2026-09-11

Three facts before action.

A bounty label is not a payment record, an open issue is not an invitation, and a quiet thread is not a promise that work will be accepted.

A conservative public-data screen needs three distinct observations before it can even recommend a re-check: at least five completed public awards in the prior 90 days, a separately confirmed open target, and no more than three visible comments. Each observation answers a different question and can change independently.

Combining them into one score hides the useful failure. Payment history may be stale. A target may have closed after the payout cards were read. A discussion can become crowded without changing either of the other facts. Keeping the source links and UTC check times beside each gate makes the result repeatable.

A pass is still not permission to claim, contact, or submit. It only says the public evidence cleared a deliberately narrow screen at a stated time. Refresh the primary sources before anyone invests implementation work.

Read the Bounty Scout evidence boundary →