Captology - can the Internet be persuasive

I read a very interesting book recently on persuasive technology. The basic idea of Fogg's book is that in certain circumstances technologies can be more persuasive than human agents. Indeed, Fogg predicts that persuasive capabilities will become an increasingly important component in the design of new technology products.

Fogg introduced a new term to the persuasive lexicon, namely captology, which is where computers and persuasion meet. Conceptually, captology provides the student of persuasion with a problem. Fogg suggests that captology is based on the use of computers to intend to persuade, but all off-line definitions of persuasion refer to the need for persuasion to happen and not just be an intent. This implies either that captology cannot be considered part of persuasion theory, or as I suspect, the Internet may be creating new customs and practices in persuasive practice. These in turn may influence persuasion theory.

Fogg explains at some depth where and how persuasion occurs through the Web. Given that the book was written in 2003 I found some of the examples not that convincing, however, Fogg and his team are now looking at how Facebook might be a persuasive technology. I think that he may have something here in terms of the networking effects of social networking sites. However, Facebook is best as horizontal communication and commercial, charity and political operators are more interested in vertical communication. Here, I suspect, that Twitter may be more applicable.

The idea of captology can be applied to online political communication. Two MPs used their e-newsletters to great effect to influence the voting habits of their subscribers. In all likelihood the effective use of these e-newsletters by Steve Webb and Nick Palmer probably helped convert their marginal seats to safe seats. In the 2005 UK General Election the most powerful use of the Internet was internal, pass-protected, email/e-newsletters. These mobilised activists to offline activity such as leafleting, attending meetings and tele-canvassing. I would expect that in 2010, despite the hype, email will again be the most persuasive of technologies, but as before it will aim as supporters not the floating voters.

Pioneering Internet MP to stand down

It is likely that if you think about MPs who have pioneered the use of the Internet, you would probably mention Steve Webb, Tom Watson, Derek Wyatt, John Redwood. However, I noted recently that one MP who I consider an Internet pioneer, Robert Key is standing down at the next election due to ill health.

I doubt that Robert is personally particularly IT literate, though I may be doing him a disservice. My reason for including him amongst the early pioneers in the run-up to the 2005 General Election (some 20-40 in number) was not that he was an early adopter in all things Webby, rather he had a clear vision for how he would use the Internet, in particular his website. Moreover, his approach was not based on jumping on a bandwagon, but on enhancing the citizen's experience of dealing with their MP. He created one page which was only open to constituents which provide a range of information and services available to them. In effect he was using his website to fulfill a number of functions, which inluded as an information portal, promoting community information which mades peoples lives more interesting. Robert also publicised information which allowed visitors to track what was being said by whom on a local issue, I suspect to the chagrin of some local officials.

Representatives who are pioneers of new technologies do not, like Key, have to be in to the latest gizmo, but they do need to care about their job and recognise how they can use technology to help their constituents. Whilst not a techie, Robert Key was clearly interested in the possibilities the technology offered.