Comments on: What a Listening Application is Not

By: liz

liz — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:07:08 +0000

I see what both of you are saying. On the one hand, Facebook/etc, seem like a therapist, of sorts. You can vent, it is all about you, and you can explain your vision of yourself in different ways (listing favorite books, movies etc or adding different applications). Jed, you make a great point. Yes, Facebook may appear to be facilitating listening, it actually really only allows you to vent, no, to communicate outward what you are thinking/feeling. Therapy would do this but an actual therapist would ask questions trying to get you to dig deeper – to ask more questions and possible push yourself until you understand whatever you need to understand. You need a person to be an active listener and to sometimes provide input or insight when you need it most.

By: chris

chris — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 23:14:44 +0000

then my question is, why do we need a listening application? why isn’t an application that facilitates listening good enough? what’s the ultimate goal?

it seems to me that a listening application further separates human connections.

By: Jed

Jed — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 06:41:28 +0000

It is tempting, isn’t it? Using your metaphor, I think I would explain my thinking like this: Facebook is the therapist’s room, your friends are the therapists.

It is true. Facebook does provide the space in which the listening occurs, but it is not doing the listening, only facilitating it. The listening behavior, if you will, is still person-to-person.

By: trish (:

trish (: — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 15:22:50 +0000

Why is facebook (and the like) not a listening application? I think of it sort of like a therapist. They listen but in a very specific and guided way. They construct a space that is conducive to listening and talking but it has objectives and requires you to engage in a way that is appropriate to that space. I think therapist listen as much as facebook listens…. you just get different feed back.