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.