Twitter Versus Weibo

In China, due to the tender loving care of the government of the people, the Great Firewall of China has blocked access to much of Western social networks like Facebook and Twitter.  It's unfortunately really since we can all vastly benefit from the tweets and updates of our fellow men and women from China.  However, all is not lost as there are alternatives, carefully monitored alternatives, that are available.  

Weibo is one such site that I signed up for.  I figure I give it a shot and use this opportunity to learn Chinese.  

And I reckon I'll see a lot interesting things.  What will be of interest to me is what I will not be able to see.  Keeping in mine that I have the reading level of a first grader if that and my comprehension of Chinese idioms and common phrases are even worse, I am eager to plunge into what it's like behind the whole separate Internet that Google has battled with Beijing since their announced pullout and reentry into the Chinese market to the latest incident of gmail hacking. 

I recommend folks sign up as well.  Even if you don't understand Chinese, I suggest you use Google Translate and for the most part, we can get the gist of most Weibo tweets.  Tweets.  Are these called tweets?  I wonder what the Chinese call them.