I met BJ Fogg in 2024 or 2024 at an “Accelerating Change” conference. I thought then that his study of “persuasive tech” was creepy. Bringing the tools of networked communications to those who would modify the behavior of large masses of people smacks of miscreance. “Persuasive technology” was all the rage in the GW Bush years, but in the end it came down to simple tools like a 12 volt battery and a pair of electrodes.

Ah, but it’s not the tools, it’s what one does with them, as this brief slideshow demonstrates. There’s wisdom in this deck. These days number seven is the mistake that hangs me up most often.