How Unmai Works

EDRM — The Eight Stages

Every signal moves through these stages in order. No stage may be skipped. If a stage fails, the signal stops.

1. Stage 1
   Identification

   We define a narrow scope and the kinds of signals that would count as relevant. No fishing.

2. Stage 2
   Preservation

   Capture the URL, the page, and the surrounding context immediately. Save to a trusted archive (e.g. Wayback, archive.today). Hash the captured artefact.

3. Stage 3
   Collection

   Gather only what is necessary. Record who collected, when, from where, and by what method. Avoid re-traumatising sources.

4. Stage 4
   Processing

   Normalise file formats. Strip executable content. Preserve original metadata in a separate sidecar — never modify the original.

5. Stage 5
   Review

   Two independent reviewers examine the signal. They must agree on what it shows before it moves forward.

6. Stage 6
   Analysis

   Place the signal in context. Compare against prior signals from independent sources. Look for the pattern, not the headline.

7. Stage 7
   Production

   Write the entry in calm, structured language. No adjectives. No verdicts. Cite every claim.

8. Stage 8
   Presentation

   Publish only when safe — for sources, for named regions, and for the integrity of the record. If in doubt, hold.

Two-person Verification & Hash-then-Publish

No signal reaches a public Ring 1 entry on the work of one investigator. Two reviewers must independently confirm what the artefact shows. Before publication, the captured artefact is hashed (SHA-256), the hash recorded against the entry, and the archive link stored alongside the live link. This is the Berkeley Protocol baseline for digital open-source evidence.

If the live link disappears, the archive and the hash remain. If the artefact is later altered, the hash will not match. The record is anchored.