To what distances do we know the confining potential?

We argue that the commonly used procedure of extracting the static potentia l from lattice Wilson loop measurements may contain an underestimated syste matic uncertainty at large quark separations. To illustrate the point, we e xtract the potential by the standard lattice method in a model vacuum made of instantons. A beautiful infinitely rising linear potential is obtained i n the case where the true potential is in fact flattening. We argue that th e flux tube formation might also be an artifact of the lattice procedure an d not necessarily a measured physical effect. We conclude that at present the rising potential is known for sure up to no more than about 0.7 fm. It may explain why no screening has been clearly o bserved so far for adjoint sources or for fundamental sources but with dyna mical fermions. Finally, we speculate on how confinement could be achieved despite the abse nse of the infinitely rising potential in the pure glue theory.