What Weibo is
Weibo (also known as Sina Weibo) is a microblogging social platform launched in August 2009. According to Wikipedia, it was launched by Sina Corporation on August 14, 2009 and is one of the biggest social media platforms in China; the operator, Weibo Corporation, is based in Beijing and was carved out of Sina for a Nasdaq listing (ticker WB) in March 2014. Its role is publishing, reading, and discussing public content.
What it does and where it stops
Weibo’s core is the public content feed: users post short updates and repost, comment, and like them, follow accounts of interest, and a large share of public discussion and real-time trending topics happens on the platform, with the trending-topics list (热搜) among its signature entry points. Both a web version and mobile apps are offered, with weibo.com as the web entry.
Weibo is at once a public-expression channel and a marketing and distribution channel, so advertising and sponsored content are mixed into the feed; account rules and content policies follow the platform’s published terms. Browsing public content does not require signing in, but full features need an account.
Discussion in the show
In the chapter “用模型过滤隐性广告” (filtering hidden ads with a model) of Weekly #003, Guizang gives an example of a tool that blocks hidden ads in real time: while “scrolling Twitter or Weibo”, each post is fed to a model that filters ads the moment it loads, and subtitles can be used to filter soft advertising. Weibo appears here as one of the scenarios used to introduce the tool — an incidental mention, not a discussion of the platform itself.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Weibo’s official website?
The web entry point is weibo.com, where signing in unlocks the full features; the mobile app should be downloaded from official publisher listings in each app store.
When did Weibo launch?
Sina launched Weibo on August 14, 2009, per Wikipedia’s account. In March 2014, Weibo was carved out of Sina and listed on Nasdaq under the ticker WB.
How does Weibo relate to Sina?
Weibo was launched by Sina Corporation and is operated by Weibo Corporation; after the 2014 spinoff listing it is an independent public company headquartered in Beijing.
Where can I see Weibo’s trending topics?
The trending list is visible in the signed-in web version and in the app; it is one of the platform’s public-topic entry points, changes in real time, and should be read as displayed on the platform.