Originally Posted by jim30

We also need to develop a generation of commanders who understand that if something doesnt have a super secret PM on it, or isn't delivered by a terribly attractive young lady with an Oxbridge pedigree who briefs you reports while leaing over your desk in a tight blouse, then that doesnt make it any less valid as a source of information. Arguably we need to have the moral courage to incorporate OSINT as an integrated part of a J2 brief and not as the 'this is what the funny internet people are saying' comedy slide at the end. When our people are comfortable that the classification is less important than the source, then hopefully commanders will buy in too.

Oxbridge is crap. There is not even a proper place called "Oxbridge" People who use the expression "Oxbridge" are idiots.

Do not be fooled by OSINT.

Originally Posted by BarcelonaAnalPark

Very good post, Jim30.

The only draw back that I can see, is that IF I was doing OSINT for the opposition today, I would be targetting JIM30 with a Russian HoneyTrap.

Having left the Corps, I now work with OSINT on a daily basis at both operational but more often strategic levels. Being in my late 30s, I don't consider myself a child of the Information Revolution, but I have an open mind and seek to augment deficiencies in non-OS data with what is in the public domain. One barrier I have encountered is amongst my analytical colleagues - some of whom are much younger - as to the value of OS over official data. One recently told me that by default anything that was OSINT is X4 (F6), going so far as to grade data from official government websites as such as it was "not officially supplied". I have argued that we never received any official data about the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011, but I am sure happened as I watched it on the screen - hence, it can't be X4/F6 in this instance.

There is a huge cultural reluctance to use OSINT and which is not restricted to the UK. It will likely take a generation or so to change, in my opinion. But I have always remembered that it was a private user's google search who uncovered that fraudulent canoeist from a few years ago who had fooled his kids that he was dead and had run off to S. America. The police disregarded the information initially as I recall.

So, three posts to essentially suggest that there is no such thing as Oxbridge (maybe not, but a damn site quicker than saying 'academic background of the many colleges which make up the universities of Oxford and Cambridge'), and that not only should OSINT not be trusted, but also that I can look forward to meeting a lovely blonde called Sveltlana who is going to seduce me by presenting me with a large rock...

Originally Posted by jim30

So, three posts to essentially suggest that there is no such thing as Oxbridge (maybe not, but a damn site quicker than saying 'academic background of the many colleges which make up the universities of Oxford and Cambridge'), and that not only should OSINT not be trusted, but also that I can look forward to meeting a lovely blonde called Sveltlana who is going to seduce me by presenting me with a large rock...

No mate - it's going to be a young sailor called Ivan ....

A couple of historical points -

The output of the pre-1914 equivalent of DIS, and it's Indian counterpart, was almost entirely based on OSINT. And some it wasn't bad at all.

More to the point - the desire to make greater use of OSINT has been a pious hope in military intelligence for at least the last 15 years, probably longer. But I'm not sure anything has really changed.

Originally Posted by Charm_City

A couple of historical points -

The output of the pre-1914 equivalent of DIS, and it's Indian counterpart, was almost entirely based on OSINT. And some it wasn't bad at all.

More to the point - the desire to make greater use of OSINT has been a pious hope in military intelligence for at least the last 15 years, probably longer. But I'm not sure anything has really changed.

Some things you need for OSINT today are a completely uncensored internet feed, a suitably anonymised IP address, a relatively up to date pc and management who let you surf the web at work without a clear aim to learn and to search. Good luck getting any of those.

Originally Posted by One_of_the_strange

Some things you need for OSINT today are a completely uncensored internet feed, a suitably anonymised IP address, a relatively up to date pc and management who let you surf the web at work without a clear aim to learn and to search. Good luck getting any of those.

You missed a bit off the end

' in MOD '.


It may be perfectly achievable in other parts of government.

I've read this topic, every post and I think it's really interesting. No crayoning either.

The only thing is, I don't know any of the TLA's.

Cheers Gents.