The slow collapse of critical thinking in OSINT due to AI

Well, if I want to first understand the basics, such as “what do the letters OSINT mean,” I’d think the homepage (https://osintframework.com/) would tell me. But alas, it does not, and a simple chatgpt query would have told me the answer without the wasted effort.

GPU-free URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSINT

Offline version: https://www.kiwix.org

Similar criticisms that outsiders need to do their own research to acquire foundational-level understanding before they start on the topic can be made about other popular topics on Hn that frequently use abbreviations, such as TLS, BSDs, URL and MCP, but somehow those get a pass.

Is it unfair to make such demands for the inclusion of 101-level stuff in non-programming content, or is it unfair to give IT topics a pass? Which approach fosters a community of winners and which one does the opposite? I'm confident that you can work it out.

The OSINT framework isn’t meant to be an intro to OSINT. This is like getting mad that https://planningpokeronline.com/ doesn’t explain what Kanban is.

If anything you’ve just pointed out how over reliance on AI is weakening your ability to search for relevant information

Ironically, my local barber shop also wouldn't explain to me what OSINT stands for.

I think if I can expect my mom to know what it is, I shouldn’t have to define it in articles any more.

So TLS and URL get a pass, BSD’s and MCP need to be defined at least once.

OSINT = open source intelligence. It’s the whole of openly accessible data fragments about a person or item of interest, including their use for intelligence-gathering objectives.

For example, suppose a person shares a photo online, and your intelligence objective is to find where they are. In that case, you might use GPS coordinates in the photo metadata or a famous landmark visible in the image to achieve your goal.

This is just for others who are curious.

Your mom knows what TLS is? I'm not even sure that more than 75% of programmers do.

> Offline version: https://www.kiwix.org

That doesn't actually work though. Try to set it up and it just fails to download.

On which platform? It's a mature project that has been working for years on desktops and phones, with content coverage that has expanded beyond wikipedia, e.g. stackoverflow archives. Downloadable from the nearest app store.

Does your mom really know what TLS means? I would guess that even "tech savvy" members of the general public don't.

Volunteering “I give up if the information I want isn’t on the first page of the first website that I think of” in a thread about AI tools eroding critical thinking isn’t the indictment of the site that you linked to that you think it is.

There is a whole training section right there like you just didn’t feel like clicking on it

There is a lot to be said for the academic tradition of only using an acronym/abbreviation after you have first used the complete term.

If programmers had a character sheet it would state they have a -50% penalty to any security concepts.

Relevant XKCD: https://xkcd.com/2501/

Why wouldn't you check wikipedia?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-source_intelligence