[zeveb]

> This isn't necessarily a problem--open source apps could be made configurable to aid people in controlling their behavior toward almost any goal

True, but even the choices of what to track are themselves important (e.g. if the tool doesn't provide a way to track how often one prays — well, clearly it won't reward pray-ers).

> It's a bit off-topic, but I'm curious about your pro-smoking stance. Could you give your reasoning?

I think that cigars and pipes are conducive to thought and camaraderie; I think that they smell pleasant. They dull appetite, enabling one to go longer between meals. They mask unpleasant odours. They are not terribly bad for one's health, although of course they're not good either, and they do increase cancer. The world would be better if everything smelled of good tobacco smoke.

Cigarettes, OTOH, are typically made from bad tobacco, and paper which stinks. They are much more of an addiction than pipes & cigars are, and they are conducive to addiction. They encourage littering. And they are very carcinogenic.