Showboating

Zhao Yong (Qilu Evening News): As a symbol of the information era, microblogs have changed many things and they are a more convenient and quick way of information spreading. But, in real life, microblogs have not changed too much of the overall situation. Still, we find officials' blogs are filled with empty words and bloggers who are more interested in winning fans than in discussing on real issues of social importance with the people. Those officials who are especially interested in creating a show and winning a reputation are taking advantage of microblogs as a tool for image building. These blogs do not show any respect for the public and do not mean to inform them of anything.

Microblogs are powerful, but finally they are only tools. Look at government websites, which the public used to put big hopes in, how many of them have well met people's demands for information publicity? Actually, we find that neither government websites nor officials' mailboxes and microblogs could improve the public's access to information substantially.

It is not important whether there are officials' microblogs or government websites or not. What is important is that there must be a regular information publicity mechanism that ensures the public the right to know what's going on within the government. Microblogs are a useful supplement to current information publicity methods, but we cannot rely on them too much.

Public curiosity about officials' microblogs may distract people's attention from the regular information channels, and then the public becomes tolerant to deficiencies and loopholes in regular channels. Too much attention to officials' microblogs will to some extent damage regular information publicity systems.

To give the public the right to information, we can't rely on microblogs. It's a pity that since the Government Information Publicity Regulation was issued in 2008, some governmental departments have not been implementing it very well. What's on some government websites is what people don't want to know, and what people want to know does not appear on the websites.

So, what we need are not fashionable and attractive official microblogs, but how to further smooth the channels for regular information publicity. Without tangible effort on information publicity and without a strict accountability system to punish those who fail to offer the public information, any microblogs will prove to be bubbles.

Jiang Meng (www.people.com.cn): Microblogging seems to have become a fashion among Chinese officials. But some officials block the comment function, some are only interested in winning as many fans as possible, even through contemptible means.

This is not a surprise. Many officials still think the Internet is a virtual world and don't want to take it seriously. More importantly, commercial websites are also trying to attract as many officials as possible to open microblogs, showing off the number of officials' bloggers they have. They may promise to block negative comments on officials' microblogs. In this context, officials' microblogs are no longer what they are expected to be.

Officials' blogs or microblogs reflect the government and officials' working styles. To deceive the public and to play tricks on fans are actually a continuation of some officials' working styles in the real life.

In the process of administrative reform, it's better not to make a show but to do tangible work. It does not matter whether officials open microblogs or not, and the Internet isn't the only way to help the public make their voices heard. Although officials might have opened microblogs, if they do not really mean to help the public through microblogs but are only interested in so-called image projects, the public will come to realize it.

Zhang Qin (Shenzhen Economic Daily): Nowadays, microblogs have become a new method for local governments to connect the government and people. Greater numbers of governments and officials have joined in the microblog wave. This practice is widely appreciated but it's often found these microblogs are quite far away from any objective of connecting the government and the public. In most cases, they're nothing more than a fashionable showcase.

Scan official microblogs and you'll find the public's comments seldom receive responses from the officials. The pages are covered with empty words and photos of officials' frequent activities. Gradually, the public has begun to criticize official microblogs as showboating.

To expand information publicity and strengthen the bond between the government and the public are the basis of building a modern government serving the people. The construction of government websites and the surge of official microblogs show officials have realized the importance and necessity of information publicity. But, if the concept of serving the people is absent, and officials are only interested in blogging because it's fashionable, then official microblogs will do nothing to promote information publicity or connecting the pubic and the government.

To bring official microblogs into full play, the key is, for the officials, to cherish the spirit of serving the people. No matter what complaints they have received, they should always listen carefully to the public, getting to know their opinions on hot issues or their troubles. Only in this way will microblogs really play their role to inform the public more fully what's going on in the government.