It all depends on what the tech company putting out the service is trying to achieve. While there may have been an era of increased hype in 'good UX' prior to 2008, UX as user exploitation has always been around. Both serve distinct roles for the tech company in pursuit of the ultimate goal: making money. One attracts users away from the competition, the other prevents them from leaving. The users themselves are secondary in this equation, because cash and profit come first to ensure the business survives and expands.

I looked at the some of the author's services like Good Todo and the law I have described above also applies to them. They are merely coming at it from a different angle, emphasizing user privacy and convenience as a competitive edge to get users to stay.