fishbowl

A fishbowl is a transparent, hollow container, typically made of glass or plastic, used to keep ornamental fish. It is usually spherical or rounded and holds a small volume of water. While decorative, fishbowl setups require careful attention to water quality and often lack adequate filtration and aeration, making them less suitable for long-term housing of most fish without proper care.

In digital culture, Fishbowl is the name used by a professional networking platform designed for internal company discussions and peer-to-peer networking. The platform typically allows users to join topic-based rooms or channels, with conversations that can be publicly visible within an organization and, at times, include anonymous posting. It has been noted for its informal, candid atmosphere as well as concerns about privacy and content moderation.

In educational and organizational settings, the fishbowl is a discussion format that enables interactive dialogue. A small group sits in an inner circle to discuss a topic while a larger audience sits in an outer circle. Participants from the outer circle can join the inner circle, replacing current discussants or by invitation. The format aims to promote participation, active listening, and equitable speaking opportunities.