Instead, they’re looking to usability to tell them how to make people think it’s desirable, i.e., to manipulate them. Sometimes the intended manipulation is relatively benign, like using a slightly hidden checkbox checked by default to automatically sign you up for a newsletter. Sometimes it inches closer to the darkness, doing things like tricking people into installing an unwanted browser toolbar5 and changing their default search and Home page settings while they’re not looking. We’ve all been on the receiving end of this kind of deception.
