Vouching

Use vouches to mark reviewed support and collapse stable parts of a graph.

Most arguments are longer than a single step. Once a reader has checked an earlier part of the graph, they may not want to spend attention on that same support every time they return to the argument.

Here, the first inference is relatively straightforward: the inspection found rotted boards, and rotted support boards create a pedestrian safety risk. The second inference is more contestable because it depends on a stronger policy judgment about immediate closure.

A longer argument
P1 and P2 support L1. L1 then combines with P3 to support C1. The lower inference is easier to accept than the final policy conclusion.

If you have reviewed the support for L1 and think it is acceptable, you can vouch for L1. Vouching is a way of saying that, from your perspective, the reasoning up to that point has already been checked.

Vouching for the reviewed support
The vouch marks indicate that the support leading to L1 has been reviewed. The final conclusion can still be evaluated separately.

In the View settings, you can choose to hide vouched areas of the graph. That keeps the vouched statement visible, but collapses the support beneath it so the reader can focus on the unresolved or more controversial part of the argument.

Hiding vouched support
The support under L1 is collapsed, so the reader can concentrate on whether L1 and P3 really justify C1.

Vouching is useful because it reduces repeated work. You can mark the parts of an argument that you have already reviewed, then spend more attention on the parts that remain uncertain, controversial, or personally important.

Vouches also become a signal to other readers. If many people have vouched for a part of the graph, that does not make it automatically correct, but it does suggest that the area has been reviewed and may be comparatively stable. A part of the graph with few or no vouches may deserve closer inspection.