Interesting article written by David H. Freeman http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/06/the-perfected-self/8970/?single_page=true
Dramatic introduction: "B. F. Skinner’s notorious theory of behavior modification was denounced by critics 50 years ago as a fascist, manipulative vehicle for government control. But Skinner’s ideas are making an unlikely comeback today, powered by smartphone apps that are transforming us into thinner, richer, all-around-better versions of ourselves. The only thing we have to give up? Free will." Interesting Facts: "studies in the late 1980s and early ’90s established that behavior analysis, unlike any other treatment, was effective in helping children with autism communicate, learn, and refrain from violent behavior, to the extent that some patients shed their diagnosis." And this is the reason why I posted this article in this mail list: "But technology is radically lowering that cost barrier. Today, for absolutely nothing, would-be weight-losers can download many of the key elements of a Skinnerian behavior-modification program directly to their phones and computers. One of the most popular options is Lose It, an app and Web site that allows users to pick a goal weight and a time line for reaching it, and then formulates a daily calorie count accordingly. Lose It then lets users track their eating and physical activity, which they can do by holding their phones up to a food package’s barcode, or by tapping the screen a few times at the start and end of a walk (the app offers a range of activity categories, including guitar strumming, household walking, and sex). Lose It uses this data to provide clear, graphic feedback on users’ daily progress—you might see at a glance that having dessert will send your numbers into the red, but that if you walk for 20 minutes after dessert, you’ll go back into the green." In this platform, Kresten Bjerg wrote the application "Phenomenalog" http://forum.quantifiedself.com/thread-user-driven-development-of-a-freeware-citizen-diary http://www.phenomenalog.dk http://www.phenomenalog.wikispaces.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSSovAmShCk I see in this application the same life changing potential that the application described in this article. Kresten have asking for help to anyone interested in participate in the development of this application. If you could spare a moment these days, please download his application and give it a try. You will understand why I believe that, properly developed, this application will change for good the life of it's users. http://www.phenomenalog.dk/downloads.htm Al -- View this message in context: http://runtime-revolution.278305.n4.nabble.com/Smartphone-apps-that-are-transforming-us-tp4653642.html Sent from the Revolution - User mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ use-livecode mailing list use-livecode@lists.runrev.com Please visit this url to subscribe, unsubscribe and manage your subscription preferences: http://lists.runrev.com/mailman/listinfo/use-livecode
