Is an App Key to Learning Chinese Culture?

WeChat is a very popular all-purpose app

With 760 millions users, the WeChat app provides services found on other apps in a single platform. 90% of Chinese internet customers access with a mobile device, and a third of their time or more is on WeChat. It is super multi-purpose.

Connections and follows resemble FaceBook or LinkedIn. Payments can be made like PayPal.  Monetary gifts can be sent easily with a gambler's chance of giving a bonus. I won't bore you with a complete list of functions. Assume that if it's done on a mobile device, opening WeChat accesses a screen.

If you are planning a trip to China, review information on this app and consider downloading it. It could be used to display maps to a cab driver who was summoned using the app. Instead of exchanging business cards you may scan a QR code and generate a friend request. Pay for coffee. Set up meetings. WeChat users often prefer to chat using the app rather than answer their phone. Sound familiar?

More information on WeChat is available in the Global Tech issue (June 13, 2016) of Bloomberg Businessweek: The People's Republic of WeChat by D. Lawrence and L. Chen. 

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How to use Twitter as a Research Tool

Research Topics Using Twitter

Twitter provides current information through tweets promoting articles. There are several different ways to use Twitter for research.


Researching a Company, Topic, or Individual

Type the name in the search bar.

Example: Type #healthy eating in the search bar
                 Many tweets about healthy eating are listed; most have links to articles on that subject

Want to get more specific? Double up!
                 Type #healthy eating #diabetes
                  Now you have a list of tweets referring to information on both healthy eating and diabetes

Tweet Search Results

You can also use the drop-down options menu to filter your results:
Examples:
Filter out tweet source: everyone or people you know
Filter to look at video tweets only

Filter Results with Options Menu

Finding a tweet about a specific article

My policy is to only retweet articles that I have reviewed. I read an article and knew it was from an older tweet.  In order to retweet it, I wanted an easy way to find the original tweet. This is how I found it:

In the search bar, I typed the source of the tweet and the name or topic of the article.

Example: Type @launchandHustle Single best way to create content

Type in Search Bar

Retweet After Finding Tweet

Twitter can be very useful in information searches. How do you use Twitter for research? I would be interested in your answers.
P.S. Comments from anonymous are automatically deleted.

More information on Twitter can be found in my article, Twitter School: 7 Fun Facts.

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