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treyfitty | 11 months ago

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.

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OgsyedIE|11 months ago

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.

Aeolun|11 months ago

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.

caseyy|11 months ago

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.

jrflowers|11 months ago

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

hmcq6|11 months ago

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

dullcrisp|11 months ago

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

Daub|11 months ago

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.