What "as played" means on a board

Under Today's game, the Leaderboards page carries this note: "As played: a shared round can leak once someone has seen it, so this board can't rule out a look-up."

Why we say it

Everyone in the world plays the same daily. Once the first person has seen it, the questions can be shared or looked up. We cannot prove that did not happen for a given score, so we call the board what it is: the scores as played.

What it does not mean

It does not mean somebody cheated, and it does not change your score. Rounds faster than anyone can read still leave the board until a person looks.

Which boards are more robust

Weekly boards sum many days and cap each day, so a single lucky look-up moves them little. Rating only counts the first time you see a fact.