Ed Welch's piece on Loki delves into how labels enhance log queries, drawing parallels with Prometheus while catering to users unfamiliar with the latter. Labels in Loki are key-value pairs that define streams, simplifying the process by eliminating metric names and using streams instead of series. The piece emphasizes the importance of managing cardinality, as high cardinality can lead to inefficiencies. Loki's effectiveness stems from parallelization, breaking queries into smaller pieces for efficient processing. Best practices suggest using static labels and being cautious with dynamic ones to avoid creating numerous streams, which can degrade performance. The article also discusses the significance of proper log ordering and chunk management, highlighting that Loki's design favors fewer streams and a smaller index, optimizing for cost-effectiveness and performance through parallel processing. The narrative encourages a shift in mindset from traditional log storage solutions, advocating for strategic label use and filter expressions to leverage Loki's potential.