If I have exactly one image and no chance to elaborate, for most audiences, a sigmoid probably does a poorer job of putting correct and relevant thoughts into their heads than an exponential.
I am sympathetic to this line of argument. I agree that if I was showing a chart to a politician, I might not want to show them that they curve levels off, because if my goal is to get them to act on the basis of rapid growth that is exponential for a while resulting in dangers that need to be urgently responded to, I don’t have time for them to be thinking about when that growth ends because it might muddy the waters and make them less likely to act.
But then this isn’t really an accurate model anymore, it’s a model crafted to convince someone, to tell a version of what you believe that is persuasive to some end.
I am sympathetic to this line of argument. I agree that if I was showing a chart to a politician, I might not want to show them that they curve levels off, because if my goal is to get them to act on the basis of rapid growth that is exponential for a while resulting in dangers that need to be urgently responded to, I don’t have time for them to be thinking about when that growth ends because it might muddy the waters and make them less likely to act.
But then this isn’t really an accurate model anymore, it’s a model crafted to convince someone, to tell a version of what you believe that is persuasive to some end.