I reconfigured the DNS server address for my system. Without knowing the syntax of PowerShell. Without breaking the system. Without crashing the Wi-Fi service. Without having to call Airtel. Without referring to Just Dial for a technician.
And. While I was at it, I learnt what DNS is: how DNS lookups happen; how the consumer Wi-Fi services keep things generic; how there is a leakage of what you are searching for. Even if you have 'https' at the site you are browsing (aka a secure envelope you are handling), how the DNS lookup passes through your internet service provider in plain, and they in turn know your entire 'Janam Patri (browsing history)', available to the next guy who, legally or illegally wants to snoop over your history and sell you the veritable trojan horse.
Yet. This piece is not about 'make your DNS lookup service routing through 'Quad 9' or 'Cloudflare' (which it is, obliquely!); rather, it is meant to highlight something entirely more foundational.
Learning in the Age of AI
The OODA loop: Observe, Orient, Decide and Act, is foundational for every operation- be it war or peace, learning or personal growth. Life is iterative, and we need to constantly go through the OODA cycle. Walk, fall, get up, continue. Fail fast, but don't repeat the mistakes. These, and many similar aphorisms, represent the OODA loop in plainspeak.
Yet. Something fundamental is happening today. Which is certain to widen the chasm between those who can execute the OODA loop in time, and those who remain in the post-industrial age.
Decision times are shortening. The knowledge arbitrage is diminishing. Skills are getting ephemeral. It is a tidal wave of innovation. Where do we find our place?
By constantly iterating. And learning. And unlearning.
How?
The lame answer is to ask your favourite generative AI tool.
What actually matters is to understand the process and the output. If I blindly accept Quad 9 as a safe DNS lookup service, I might be doomed and fry my machine. At the other end, if I try to memorize every syntax of PowerShell, I am doomed as well.
I am not a system administrator. But I want a sovereign machine. I want to control my information leakage.
The setup and the objectives may be different. Yet, the foundation is the same. Iterate. Learn. Decide. Execute. Generative AI will help, definitely and to a huge extent. And that is how you can find time to do the things you can. Find the sweet spot for a secure machine. And understand computer networking along the way. Not the full spectrum. But the amount you need to know at this point of time.
As I said, networking is the allegory through which I am trying to demonstrate how the OODA loop is playing itself out today.
Hop on and be a Generative AI native. Not by birth, but by intellect, friction and choice.
Become an operator in the age of intelligence automation.
Yet, always remember:
GPT is not a shortcut. It is a force multiplier — if you stay in the loop.
The moment you let it decide for you, you’re no longer native. You’re cargo.
The alternatives aren’t just suboptimal. They may well be unacceptable.
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Love this piece! 👏🏻 The way you've woven together the OODA loop, technology, and personal growth is thought-provoking and insightful. The anecdote about reconfiguring DNS server addresses is a great example of iterating and learning in action. Thanks for sharing your perspective!👌👌👌👌
Brilliantly articulated! A refreshing take on the OODA loop in the AI era where curiosity, hands-on learning, and discernment matter more than memorizing syntax... Loved the message: “Be native by choice, not by default.”