And it's not just false messages. The followers of microblogs can sometimes prove to be a lucrative - and easily persuaded - audience. Once you have people's attention, you can often turn it into a tangible profit. But just how ethical and regulated the process remains a serious question.
这不仅仅是虚假的信息。微博的追随者有时可能是利润丰厚的——容易被说服的——听众。一旦你引起了人们的注意，你经常可以把它变成一种有形的利润。但是如何用道德来规范这个过程，仍然是一个很严重的问题。
Meet "Global Trend" - an ID on sina microblog that shares fashion information.
在与分享时尚信息的新浪微博上用户名为“Global Trend”的用户见面时。
Strangely, it also shares an instant messenger contact for "cooperation".
很不可思议，它也会为了“合作”而分享一些即时信息。
“600 yuan for rewriting your ads. 800 yuan to publicize it directly by my ID."
“改写你的广告600元。直接用我的用户名来宣传800元。”
Apparently, it's a real business.
很显然，这是一笔真实的交易。
And as a verified user of microblog, "Global Trend" doesn't seem too concerned about verifying the integrity of what it's about to advertise.
作为一个被微博认证的用户，“Global Trend”似乎不太关注去检验即将要宣传的东西的真实性。
"We are a hospital doing body odor surgery. Can you promote it for us?"
“我们是一个做狐臭手术的医院。你可以为我们宣传吗？”
"Yes."
“是的。”
"Do you need to see any documents?"
“你需要看看我们的文件吗?”
"No."
“不需要。”
This is clearly more than just sharing and passing on information.
很显然，这不只是分享和传递信息。
Song Jianwu, Dean, Journalism School of China University of Politics & Law, said, "If you get paid for releasing information, it is advertising. And you should be regulated by the relevant laws."
中国政法大学新闻学院院长宋佳武表示：“如果你以发布信息来挣钱，这就是广告。你就必须遵守相关的法律。”
The business model for microblog advertising is simple.
微博广告宣传的商业模式很简单。
First attract followers by posting interesting news, and sometimes false information.
首先以发布有趣的新闻，有时是虚假的信息来吸引用户。
When there are enough followers, microblog start to sell things.
当有了足够的用户，微博就开始推销东西。
The more followers an ID has, the higher it can charge for advertising.
一个用户名拥有更多的追随者，它就可以收取更多的广告费用。
"Global Trend" for example, has 1.2 million followers on sina microblog.
在新浪微博上，有120万个像“Global Trend”这样的用户。
Lu Xucheng, Chief Writer of the Founder, said, "The owner of a famous microblog ID told me that he has 6 hundred thousand followers. He's hired five people to maintain it. He publicizes 10 ads everyday, and get paid over 100 thousand yuan a month. It's more like a company."
方正集团的主笔卢旭诚表示：“一个播客名人告诉我，他有60万的追随者。他雇了5个人来维护。他每天宣传10个广告，每月获得10万元的报酬。这更像是一个公司。”
Netizens who follow such sites very often don't realise the extent to which they're being manipulated.
跟随这些网站的网民经常都没有意识到他们被操控的程度。
Every message they rewrite, could be helping create a bigger and bigger profit for the microblogger.
他们改写的每个信息，可以帮助微博的博主创造越来越多的利润。