Why The Rest Of The World Should Sign On To Weibo

Oct 102012
 

China social media site Weibo is attracting a lot of attention from non-Chinese, particularly westerners. And it is well worth while for those interested in the region to pay attention to this window into popular opinion in China.

Ezine Business Insider suggests that westerners would do well to actually join the social networking site and provides what they call ” 7 good reasons for joining”:

1. It’s huge, and will probably get even bigger

2. It’s a window into what people think in China

3. It’s a window into Chinese government censorship

4. Weibo users are ingenious at getting around this censorship

5. The fascinating power of the “human flesh engine”

6. It’s actually really good

7. An English-language version is in the works

These reasons are expanded on below but it is a good point that Weibo and other social media sites have a multi faceted role in the social order. They provide information, reflect and can steer public opinion, affect official decisions and policy, expose corruption and finally and most importantly give a voice to those who would otherwise keep silent.

If  China is to evolve into a democratic, open society peacefully then social media is likely to be the vehicle. The alternatives of revolution or social upheaval are too awful to contemplate.

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Chinese Baidu attempts to penetrate Vietnamese market

Jul 082012
 

The information that Baidu Tra da quan (ice tea shop), a Chinese social network would make debut in Vietnam on July 1 has appeared on a lot of websites in Vietnam. Meanwhile, sources have said that besides the social network, the Chinese company has been implementing a series of other projects, quietly.

This report comes from Ezine Vietnamnet.

Baidu Tra da quan is slated to make debut in Vietnam in early July. However, the Vietnamese Internet community has been “throwing stone” into the social network for the last couples of weeks already. A lot of members of the Vietnamese social networks such as VOZ or GameVN have called on to boycott the Chinese social network. A lot of other people have also expressed their aversion to the products from the neighboring country.

Some experts said that the presence of Baidu in Vietnam is foreseeable. The Chinese giant has been developing very rapidly in China and it has automatically thought of expanding its business in South East Asia, where Vietnam is the nearest country in terms of geographical position.

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