feedback loop yourself into the person you want to be

Okay, this product may not turn me into the productive, well-toned and social person I want to be, but it's a start. Greengoose (still in production) uses sensors - on your toothbrush, water bottle and exercise gear - to track your healthy habits and then - and this is where the true genius is - turns them into points that you can use on Greengoose online games.

It's one of many products profiled at Wired, all of which use feedback loops to help you be that energy-conserving, financially responsible and fit person we all dream of being.

It's an article worth reading, but it misses one crucial point. Feedback certainly has an impact on moderating our behavior, but what makes Greengoose and the other products mentioned in the article so powerful is that the information they track enters the social sphere. In the case of Greengoose, that data gets turned into points that you can use to play games. For most of the other products, your information simply gets transmitted for others to see.

That's powerful stuff. We are social animals and our beliefs and behaviors are largely a product of those around us. Studies show that just by putting a picture of eyes on a computer screen, people are more likely to act ethically. So it's no wonder that making our daily habits public is the best bet for altering those habits.