Why We Keep V4 as a Control Trading System
Why our older V4 PAPER system remains active while newer V4.4 and V6 experiments run, and what a control branch contributes to trading research.
A control gives changes context
If every new idea replaces the previous bot, there is no simultaneous reference for deciding whether the new architecture actually behaves differently.
V4 is not a benchmark guarantee
The control is simply a preserved reference branch. Its positive or negative periods do not establish what another system will do, and its historical result is not a promise of future performance.
Do not rewrite the control
New logic belongs in a new branch. Keeping V4 separate from V4.4 and V6 preserves attribution and prevents later improvements from silently changing the old record.
Comparison needs equal windows
Trade counts, market exposure and sample size can differ. We therefore show the systems together but explicitly warn against treating a small-sample win rate or PnL lead as proof of superiority.
How we use this lesson now
We keep experiment versions separate, publish unfavorable PAPER outcomes, record net closed-trade metrics and avoid converting an early result into a profitability claim. The purpose of the record is comparison and diagnosis.