Fishbowl: Professional Network Reviews

by Viprma

I have never bothered to write an app review before. This is my first. Fishbowl is covered in anti vaccine posts. If you try to correct them then the anti vaccine people abuse the automatic moderation and get your content removed. Just delete Fishbowl . It would be unethical to keep using it when they allow conspiracy theorists and anti vaccine folks take over the site. It is not a professional environment any more. Furthermore when they suspend you, you can’t even get in to delete your data. Super shady company. I regret downloading. You think it is anonymous but then they could abuse your data. Use Blind. Far superior app and much better policies. Now watch. Auto written response to this post asking me to contact them for a review. No real customer service.

by ABN14!!

I’ve never left a review for an app in my life but here I am. The premise of Fishbowl is great and I really enjoy except the moderation of users is absolutely GARBAGE. If you are reported three times, you get permanently banned from Fishbowl . It doesn't matter what you say, if some clicks the report button, you get flagged and it's a strike against you. If someone doesn't like what you've said, they can go back and report every single comment of yours in a thread and you'll be permanently banned from Fishbowl . It's ridiculous. I'm not even talking about politics. If you have a differing of opinion, someone will game the report function and have you kicked off Fishbowl .

Fishbowl also shadowbans. I was told by customer service. They blamed it on the algorithm but told me that their program will straight up make your comments invisible due to another user reporting you.

Fishbowl really needs to get it together.

by **SomeGirl**

I created an account on this app approximately a week ago, and in doing so provided all of the requested information. I have since sought to delete some of that information - for example, my employer - and am unable to do so. When I tap into the employer field on Fishbowl , I am requested to input a email so Fishbowl can verify my employer. I entered an old email address with the hope that, in doing so, I could then edit my employer. I was wrong, and the effect was to change my employer from what I put originally to my university since the email I provided was my school email. I am still unable to delete my employer.

Being unhappy with the lack of control over my account, I tried to delete it. It is also impossible to delete my account from Fishbowl . The website directs its users to the “send feedback” button in order to delete their profiles. When doing so, I received a message indicating my app was not configured for email, despite having two confirmed emails on file thanks to the employer issue above.

I am greatly dissatisfied with the lack of control I have over my account, and find the difficultly in deleting the account to be very suspicious.

I wish I had never downloaded Fishbowl.

by Ddom13

Fishbowl has a lot of great potential and content flowing through. Unfortunately, as others have pointed out there are tons of “spam banners” on Fishbowl who will just report tons of your normal/kind reviews and it will automatically ban people from Fishbowl . So the more active you are in Fishbowl and the more positive content you contribute the more likely you are to get banned from it. They are shooting themselves in the foot with this, they don’t have ANY real content moderation they just accept any “reported content” regardless of if the person reporting it is simply acting malicious by targeting kind users. Several colleagues of mine have said the same thing and have been banned. It ultimately encourages you to not contribute content and just observe ok Fishbowl . If this app actually had good content moderation it would be a powerful enough app that I’d want to invest personally in it, but their priorities are elsewhere. Govern the “spam banners” or you’ll lose all the users who build content within your app’s walls.

by Wwreith

Quickest way to get banned is to post anything that can be seen as remotely conservative opinion or simply not agreeing with extreme left wing views, meanwhile liberals can suggest suicide, job loss, insults to their hearts content against anyone for any reason. Sadly with the recent election there has been a bombardment of such talk across nearly every board even boards where the topic should have nothing to do with politics.

I was recently given a permanent ban for a one sentence response to someone demanding everyone change to liberal approved terms like chestfeeding instead of Breastfeeding. My exact response was “with everything else going on do you believe this is the most important issue in the US”.

We are in a pandemic, millions out of work, black men are shot by cops, ultra conservatives storming the capital. But attacking people for not saying chestfeeding is the important issue of the day. Yeah ok. For questioning this persons priorities with a simple question. No profanity. Never called them stupid or anything negative just asked is this topic really the most important thing?

Well apparently it is to this app. I have been permanently banned for it. The moderators for Fishbowl are the utterly intolerant ones.

by BEWARE: Cant DELETE Account.

It was a cool app until I realized you can't delete your account and you can't delete your posts. SUPER SHADY. I tried to change my job title and while waiting approval from Fishbowl administrator, my profile has been switched so that everyone can see where I work and what I commented. The whole point is that it's supposed to be anonymous. Had I of known that trying to change my title would result in making my information public, I would have never tried to make the change. I've emailed twice for them to delete my account and I've heard nothing back. I'm very disturbed. I won't every use Fishbowl again. I wouldn't recommend Fishbowl for professionals because they are SHADY and do not make it clear that you can't delete your account at your leisure nor can you delete your posts. The lack of control of your account is extremely problematic.

by Shelbyd505

It’s a beautiful app. However, there’s no way to answer industry questions or company questions once you’ve left, or switched to an analogous job skills-wise in a different sector. I also highly doubt the anonymity component of Fishbowl , since I tried to enter my current company/email address and they said they had to verify it with my company. And then my company name is displayed on my profile as well as next to anything I comment on— come on y’all. This whole oversight defeats the entire purpose. No way would I use this and trust that it’s working as it’s supposedly intended to. I can’t delete my profile either which is a huge oversight and frankly I would advise not to download Fishbowl.

by JbushSHSU

I’ve seen ads all over Instagram for Fishbowl as a way to find out if you’re paid fairly. However to get a profile you need to literally state your real name and where you work and what your position is. It’s publicly available whatever you post unlike on Instagram/Twitter/Reddit where you can post privately or anonymously.

Secondly, it’s pretty much Reddit without the anonymously made profiles. So think about that if you’re really tempted by the ads to find out info.

Third, its full of consultants, young Lawyers, and IT professionals. If you’re outside the scope of those three professions, good luck getting them to understand your perspective as it’s M7, T14 or bust. Practically r/MBA or r/FinanceCareers on Reddit.

Lastly, salary comparisons…… there are none. Again it’s full of consultants openly risking their lives asking people if they should leave their current firm for another place and what the offers are exactly. It’s not like glass door where you can just search the companies and the positions and filter as such. It’s just people looking to join the company nothing more.

I’d advise making a throwaway on Reddit for the same exact info, don’t risk your job

by Bye Fishbowl

I don’t particularly WANT to write a poor review for this app because I’ve historically enjoyed Fishbowl and think it’s generally a decent social media platform for professionals working in similar functions to me. That said, I feel I have to point out how poorly automated and moderated Fishbowl is.

First, the automation. Every profile-related thing you do goes under manual review. You want to join this app by submitting your profile? Manual review. You want to change your title? Manual review. Almost every process that seems like it should be automated in some form for an app of this app’s size must pass through the moderation team. The moderation team is not quick to respond, either. I found I would wait days or weeks before finally contacting support to streamline the process. I’ve seen complaints of even longer waits posted to Reddit.

Second, the moderation. I noticed a comment below about being automatically banned or shadowbanned on this app as a result of less than a handful of reports, and have to echo this as a major issue of Fishbowl . The biggest problem at this point is some toxic users are aware of how to game this system, and actively abuse it. This results in a cycle of normal, friendly users being shadowbanned for fighting back against trolls/bullies and innocuous posts being removed.

by ConnVA

For some quick background, FB uses a three strikes policy with regard to content violations. First violation is a warning, second violation is a 72-hour suspension, and third violation is a lifetime ban. Violations can be triggered by someone flagging you or by the moderators identifying an issue (i.e., abusive language, negativity, marketing outside products, etc). The problem is that, when you get flagged, there is little or no vetting of whether the complaint is legitimate and no appeal process- the moderators just go ahead and book you for the violation. However, it’s becoming an increasingly poor kept secret that most of these violations are utterly ridiculous. For example, I’m on a 72-hour suspension for abuse for calling something (not someone) “dumb” and “good riddance”. There are hundreds or thousands of similar stories. Emailed asking to appeal the decision and heard zilch. Swim carefully, my friends, or just avoid this police state altogether.

by Ashford447

Have you ever been to a staff meeting and the teachers just wouldn’t stop talking? That’s what this feels like 90% of the time. “What’s your favorite thing about fall?” This was one question sent to my work email address via automatic emails - settings that you can’t change. That’s probably the absolute worst thing about Fishbowl , that you can’t turn emails off. Apart from that, it’s decent. It would be a good platform for anyone who really wants to anonymously connect with other teachers to throw information/questions out there that you wouldn’t want to talk to your district/admin about. Just really annoying that you can’t turn emails off or have them go to a personal account.

by Useless Update

Great app for anonymous sharing among others in your professional industry. But way too many people who present themselves as being woke AF who have zero tolerance for opinions that differ from their own. You will get reported for your dissent on a comment (that is positioned in an agree to disagree manner, and not personal insults) and only find out about it because your comment is magically nowhere to be found. This is especially true for anything political - even if the nature of the comment isn’t even in support of the supposed offending political view, but merely offering a ‘live and let live’ POV. It’s sad to me that the moderators are allowing other users to silence voices that differ from the popular opinion. We don’t need to worry about political fascism in our government when we’ve got totalitarian rules at play in private online communities.

by Al.Y

Interesting place to discuss work and non work topics anonymously. A couple of things that could be better: the notification is overly aggressive, would be nice to be able to tweak settings. Also when you see a response to your comment, Fishbowl doesn’t show you the whole thread, and if need it you’ll have to go back to the bowl to find it. Lastly, the activity on company-specific bowls are on the quiet side - I’m new and don’t know how much I should expect it to grow. My company has 100k employees. If the bowl is still quiet after a few months especially on quality topics, I’ll probably stop using frequently.

by Niki13we

AND I accidentally posted under my real name thinking I was anonymous (thankfully it was only about my hedgehog, Bearclaw). As it turns out, I’m given no other options but to have my information displayed until my profile information isn’t “pending”. Too bad because I love the concept of Fishbowl itself and because it’s new, it’s kind of like the Wild Wild West. Which can be both titillating and jarring all at the same time. Haha! 🙃🫠

by Ryanbharvey

Overall, I am a fan. I think the network is solid and provides good insight. At its best, it is a source of information and insight from an authentic source. At its worst, it is a window into the sad realities of our industry. Luckily, all that is padded by a healthy dose of sarcasm.

Being a contributor of the latter, my posts/replies can land wrong and become subjects of misinterpretation resulting in warnings, flags, or even banishment.

While some have been warranted others have been unfairly misinterpreted without the option to dispute. What if a user is maliciously reporting someone? I don’t believe this to be the case in my instance. I may have still been in the wrong but it would be nice to have been able to dispute.

by Chilljamz

I’m in the educator community and it’s been fun connecting with others across the country. It’s more welcoming than “teacher gram”. Sometimes networking and advice can be limited because education differs so much from state to state, but everyone in the community has a common ground. When it comes to topics like behavior, or work-life balance, those are universal.

Some logistical things with Fishbowl bug me—like double tapping to add punctuation in a post will add a space between the final word and end mark. This doesn’t show until your post/comment is posted and as an English teacher that really bothers me. Characters in posts are limited—wish there were more! It’s also tedious to get back to the notifications screen after checking post updates. The back button will send you to the “bowl” instead of simply back to where you left off.

by _pulliam_

...but this app deserves the five stars. Fishbowl is amazing. It actually is a place where down to earth professionals share and collaborate.

A couple of the live talks I’ve attended are in my top ten ‘talks’ including whatever you can find online — and the fact that you can ask really talented and accomplished people questions conversationally is awesome.

I’ve had great conversations, learned things applicable to my day to day at work, and have received relevant and actionable advice on things from advancing my career and building a company, to strategy and tactics.

Honestly, the only critiques I have are for them to add features to the live talks. Maybe allow reactions and record it. Though the fact that you can’t do those things might be what makes them flow so well, it’s truly and thoughtfully moderated. And it makes the experience unique and unrepeatable. Great draws.

Okay, I’ve raved so much about this app I think I need to tell you: I don’t work for the company nor do I know anyone who does. I found Fishbowl randomly, I think it was in an article in Fishbowl Store. Random. Good search/marketing maybe. Either way, so glad I found it.

by Olivia G. Ritter

Fishbowl is the perfect way for professionals to connect in a more laid-back, social way. I have appreciated the more relatable posts asking for advice or tips on career goals. Fishbowl has been a huge help in figuring out what I may want to do in my career following college, since I have been doing e-learning throughout COVID-19. Students today are so competitive and caught up in getting ahead of their peers. this app combats that sense of competition with the aspect of anonymity and relaxed posting style.

I will definitely continue using Fishbowl as I discover new career paths I may be interested in!

by Redefine Manliness

I absolutely love Fishbowl and the concept. Gives out a lot of information which you can’t get otherwise. My only struggle has been the font size and slow performance. Hangs at least thrice a day. But most importantly, it’s too small of a font to type and keep reading long articles. I moved to iPad but the font remains the same. You should come out with a web version for better readability and better engagement of the audience. Just my two cents.
Update: I have major concerns with their reporting function. There is no transparency and you never know what you get reported for. They just revoke your access for messaging which is a bummer. I would appreciate if the team is transparent on red flags and warns early than revoking the access without any notice.

Update - the customer support is not responsive and doesn’t give valid and transparent answers. After providing so much information to people, it’s practically useless if you can’t make full use of it. Fishbowl can do much better.

by Helpful Fish 2019

The perfect place to learn anonymously!
*Warning Longwinded review ahead
Do you have a question you aren’t comfortable asking your team mates? Do you want to help others learn more about your firm? Do you just want to look at memes geared towards a niche group? Do any of the questions sound like you? Well you are in the right place, ask and interact anonymously or share your entire profile for a different experience completely. I was a little hesitant to join at first but once I joined the community my fears melted away. I can say this is the best resource to quickly interact with intelligent and knowledgeable professionals around any topic you can imagine. Like with most apps of this nature you will encounter trolls but I’d say the 80-20 rule definitely applies here with the 80 being the individuals who truly want to help. I have noticed myself using Fishbowl more often than reddit and LinkedIn now, mostly as a lurker! So what are you waiting for join us here in the this app! who knows we may interact with each other, and I hope we do!

by Tbroil

App is centered around gathering your contact information as well as those in your phone. It will then spam your contacts with invitations to Fishbowl .

Edit: I find the developers response disingenuous and misleading. I received a text stating I had been ‘mentioned’ in a conversation by a colleague. Fishbowl would not allow me to see this conversation until I signed up and allowed it access to my contacts, which is undoubtedly how the last guy got suckered into giving up my number to begin with. To make matters worse, I was never actually mentioned by the person this app referenced on the text message I received from them in any conversation. It was simply Fishbowls way of getting me to sign up. I believe this is called Spam.

by Emanresu812

I was put on 72 hr ban once, served my time. Then was put on 72 he ban a week later for the same comment that was already moderated. I deleted Fishbowl so I wouldn’t be disappointed to see I was still softbanned for sticking up to some bullies I reported and were never moderated. I spoke up and ended up being penalized.

Now that I reinstalled Fishbowl it seems I lost all my karma, messages and past posts. How about designing a log in function? Fishbowl is awful and your moderation team needs more training. Don’t not moderate someone who calls others racist bigots without proof. Yet someone replies “You must be a joy to work with.” And they’re moderated.

by Lilybethuna

I deleted Fishbowl as soon as I realized you had to include your work email. First, I don’t want to include my work email in the case I leave my job and then can’t access my account in the future. Second, I don’t want unnecessary emails to my account that breaks my email agreement with my school by using my email for social media-work related or not. I tried my personal email that ends in .edu and was told it is not valid. This brings up the conversation of do professionals not work in higher education? All seems so silly to me so it’s easier to delete Fishbowl than try to find ways around it. I would be interested in Fishbowl if this unnecessary issue was righted.

by Angrychickreviewing

Why are some recruiters allowed full access while others aren’t? I’m an in house recruiter and have read only access, while many other recruiters are allowed to have full access to comment or stem art threads. I contacted customer service and was told that recruiters were not allowed to comment as to keep Fishbowl from becoming a recruiting app. Okay i disagree with that because recruiters actually have opinions outside of just trying to recruit people, but beyond that, there are tons of recruiters that have full access... just look into the “ask a recruiter” bowl. I just don’t understand why some have access and others do not. It’s not right.

by Lovegrove Island

this app itself is fine and fun to read. The “zero tolerance” policy for “negativity” in their algorithm feels a bit like the Though Police though. There are FIVE ways to like a comment, and one way to report someone. Theyre the same effort to do. And if your post or response gets 5 likes and one report, thats it, youre reported and “suspended” and in need of a human response (good luck, might take a while) to get back on. This is a flaw in their design. But the forum itself is fine and interesting most of the time (the rest of the time its the same few topics over and over).

by Mo_You

Times have changed especially with the #MeToo movement and it's necessary to challenge traditional and outdated workplace practices and regulations. this app is a place where professionals are finally talking about taboo topics like the wage gap, promoting diversity, gender representation, etc. It's only through initiating these much needed convos that we can stimulate change and better practices. I do hear convos from this app being talked about in my office now and hope it influences change down the line.

by Shanelly Bunworth

Fishbowl was recommended to me by one of my co-workers and now I'm recommending it to everyone! I never thought I had a voice in the workplace since I'm not at a senior position just quite yet, but I was wrong. Being on this app is the first time I felt valued as an employee of my company because I'm able to bring up issues without being judged and it actually results to critical and productive conversations! I also really respect how moderation is taken seriously on the platform and there's a zero tolerance for trolls

by Marce Ella

This is an app that I wished I had discovered sooner! I have been able to find people who have been able to give me advice when it comes to this industry. Social media can be overwhelming or not give you what you’re looking for, but with Fishbowl, I feel like it’s really to find people in similar situations or interests as you. Fishbowl is great for open discussion such as sexism and racism in the workforce. Really great app that more people should use!

by Jereek Espiritu

A place to get advice, insights, and resources from industry peers. It’s not just an ordinary forum, but a community you’ll be glad to be part of.

I love the users here—even met some in real life! They’re willing to share honest thoughts and are more open to all sorts of discussions. Definitely recommend!

Just one request feature: Please have a function to sort threads on each bowl the same way you could on the search tab.

by Deloitte Consultant

This is the best app from being able to get insight from others in my industry about how to navigate challenges at work, negotiate salary, and generally get ahead. I must say that I appreciate the supportive and authentic community. I’ve also met some very cool people and new friends through this app! A great resource whether you need help, want to pass the time, or want to expand your network!

by Jviewslider

Unlike other social media networks geared towards professionals, this one does it right. Different layers of anonymity help encourage thoughtful conversation at all levels of the totem pole, from interns beginning in their career to seasoned veterans. Specific groups help make the conversation more tailored and personal like the one for POC’s. Highly recommend checking out if you’re at all interested in career development.

by Savteacher

As a new teacher, I try to get as much help and support as I possibly can. I want all the classroom ideas from end of the year gifts to Homework management! I get all of this on this ONE app. The comments and suggestions are real and authentic because there are REAL teachers sharing their tips and tricks. So excited to continue networking and sharing/reading posts!