A new post at Adam Schokora’s 56minus1 has a great rundown of China’s various microblogging platforms.
Like the seminal Twitter, many of the Chinese counterparts adhere to what have become microblogging norms: Using @’s to reply to other users, a set limit to size (i.e. Twitter’s 140 character limit) and various SMS and Instant Messaging integrations.
Adam’s top five are:
For any not on the microblogging bandwagon, microblogging is a form of blogging by which users submit short text-limited posts or links, often focused on micro updates of the microblogger’s daily life.
Though initially solely Web-based, microblogging has jumped out of the browser and onto the desktop with clients such as Twhirl, TweetDeck and Twitterrific; making microblogging an interesting hybrid between blogging and instant messaging.
As with many “copied for China” Web apps, the Chinese microblogging platforms find their base in an almost exclusively domestic usership, and as such are Mandarin only.
However, if you are looking for some China-based microbloggers, plenty are to be found on Twitter. Be sure to check out this slightly dated post at CNReviews for a rundown of the China Twitterati. Or simply visit ChinaList’s friends page on Twitter and start clicking the “Follow” buttons.
Oh, and while you’re at it–you can follow me, too!
