The accumulated, tamper-evident record of a participant's attributable deeds over time — held by neither the actor nor the operator, so it stands as evidence rather than claim.
Etymology
From Latin gesta, "things done, deeds" — from gerere, to carry on, to perform; the same root beneath res gestae, the deeds themselves — plus -ance, a state or accumulated result. Compare provenance (where a thing came from) and performance (how it acted). Gestance is what it has actually done.
Not to be confused with reputation
Reputation is what others think of a participant. Gestance is what the participant did.
The distinction, put to work
Authentication tells you who. Gestance tells you whether what they're doing fits what that participant has actually done.
"The request authenticated cleanly, but it was inconsistent with the account's gestance."
The gestance family
gest n.
A single recorded deed. revived(archaic: a deed or exploit; the root of jest).
gesting n., v.
The act of recording deeds into a gestance. revived
gestance n.
The accumulated, tamper-evident record of a participant's deeds over time. coined
gestive adj.
Of or pertaining to gestance; evidentiary of deeds. coined
gested adj.
Recorded as a deed; entered into a gestance. coined
gestless adj.
Having no gestance — a participant with no recorded deeds yet. coined
gestor n.
The participant whose deeds a gestance records. coined