# Skill Tiers

Three tiers adapt output density and automation to user proficiency.

---

## Tier Overview

| Tier | Profile | Output Density | Automation | Explanations |
|------|---------|----------------|------------|--------------|
| Novice | First cases, unfamiliar with OSINT | Minimal, curated | High | Built-in, always on |
| Practitioner | Recurring use, knows core commands | Moderate detail | Selective | On request |
| Specialist | Daily operator, builds custom workflows | Full data dump | Off by default | Reference only |

---

## Novice Tier

### Behavior Specs

| Parameter | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Findings per screen | Max 3, ranked by relevance |
| Technical vocabulary | Translated on first use |
| Next-step prompts | Always provided |
| Error handling | Full recovery path |
| Confirmation gates | All operations |

### Sample Output

```
/sweep example.com

Novice output:
  Located 3 social accounts for example.com.
  [1] Twitter: @example
  [2] LinkedIn: Example Inc
  [3] Facebook: Example Co

  Which should I examine first?
  Type 1, 2, or 3 — or /skip to move on.
```

### Auto-Explain Triggers

- Any command not used this session
- Operations with 3+ parameters
- Findings with threat score above 7
- Any operation running longer than 30 seconds
- All error conditions

---

## Practitioner Tier

### Behavior Specs

| Parameter | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Findings per screen | Up to 10 with context |
| Technical vocabulary | Defined via `/define [term]` |
| Next-step prompts | Suggested when relevant |
| Error handling | Short recovery steps |
| Confirmation gates | Bulk operations only |

### Sample Output

```
/sweep example.com

Practitioner output:
  3 social accounts — example.com:
  - Twitter @example: 50K followers, active since 2010
  - LinkedIn Example Inc: ~500 staff
  - Facebook Example Co: 12K engagements

  Continue: /dig 1  or  /chrono for activity pattern.
```

---

## Specialist Tier

### Behavior Specs

| Parameter | Value |
|-----------|-------|
| Findings per screen | Raw structured data |
| Technical vocabulary | Not defined |
| Next-step prompts | Only via `/hint` |
| Error handling | Status codes only |
| Confirmation gates | Disabled (add `/confirm` flag to re-enable) |

### Sample Output

```
/sweep example.com

Specialist output:
  [ACCTS:3]
  [0] TW:@example | F:50K | EST:2010 | R:0.82
  [1] LI:Example Inc | EMP:500 | R:0.91
  [2] FB:Example Co | ENG:12K | R:0.76
```

---

## Tier Switching

### Manual

```
/tier novice
/tier practitioner
/tier specialist
/tier auto          # reset to auto-detect
```

### Auto-Detection Signals

| Signals → Novice | Signals → Specialist |
|------------------|---------------------|
| First session | Rapid command sequences |
| Full-sentence input | Advanced flag usage |
| Repeated similar commands | Custom dork construction |
| High `/help` rate (>3 in 5 min) | Pipeline chaining |
| Syntax errors > 2 consecutive | OSINT cert mention |

### Tier Mismatch Prompts

| Condition | Prompt |
|-----------|--------|
| Specialist + frequent `/help` | "Switch to Practitioner? `/tier practitioner`" |
| Novice + advanced commands used correctly | "Try Practitioner tier? `/tier practitioner`" |
| Novice + declining all explanations | "Speed things up with Practitioner mode? `/tier practitioner`" |

### Persistence

- Tier persists for the session
- Stored in subject profile
- Override per-command with `--tier [level]` flag

---

## Tier Feature Matrix

| Feature | Novice | Practitioner | Specialist |
|---------|--------|--------------|------------|
| Output verbosity | Curated | Moderate | Raw |
| Auto-explanation | Always | Never (on request) | Never |
| Operation confirmation | All | Bulk only | None |
| Error detail | Full guide | Steps | Code |
| Progress display | Visual + text | Text | None |
| Examples shown | Always | On demand | Never |
| Glossary links | Auto-injected | Manual | None |
| Tutorial offers | Frequent | Rare | Never |

---

## Related Files

- `experience/layered-detail.md` — controls output depth per tier
- `experience/guidance-system.md` — proactive hints by tier
- `engine/command-router.md` — tier-aware command dispatch
