ABSTRACT
The third type of communication in our classification scheme is open circle communication. We define open circle communication as any communication among a group of people where a sender can send information, receivers can share their own information with the sender and other receivers, and anyone in the circle can function as a sender. Anyone can join the circle, and people in the same circle typically do not know each other. Such circles may have no, one, or a few people who play central roles. After a brief overview, we focus on Weibo, the most popular form of open circle communication in China. We follow with a discussion on how Weibo is used, by whom, and for what purposes. We then discuss challenges associated with communication on Weibo. In the Road Ahead, we discuss the future of open circle communication in China.
