Table 1 Four categories of function in Sina Weibo.
Category of functions | Target users | Button designs | Physical properties |
|---|---|---|---|
Basic functions (post-Weibo, comment, forward, hashtags, like) | All ordinary and head users, both individual and organizational. | Appears visually in the upper right corner of the user interface and beneath each tweet with a commonly recognized icon. | The most traditional functions of social media platforms, including the production, circulation, dissemination, and browsing of information. |
Simplified functions (quick forward, forward while commenting) | Heavy or interest-based users aiming to expand their network and increase exposure to specific content. | Placed in the collapsed area of the forwarding function, and users can manually select “Comment at the same time” when editing forwarded text content. | In line with the reading habits of users in the fragmented era, and can save the cost of browsing and sharing information. |
Multimedia functions (Weibo storiesa, Weibo videos) | Users with advanced content creation skills. | Placed in the upper right corner of the user interface, within the plus area, and in the collapsed area where the original text content was created. | Enrich the content in forms other than words. |
Topic functions (Weibo articlesb, super-topic community) | KOL or organizational accounts known for their original content. | Weibo Articles is situated towards the later section of the Post-Weibo collapsible area. Super-topic community is confined within the page for editing original textual content, or in the second section at the bottom of the user interface. | Gather users with the same interests and specialized knowledge to promote communication among homogeneous groups. |