With the passing of Apple founder Steve Jobs, Chinese internet users have taken to social networking sites like Weibo and Renren en masse to express their feelings for the tech visionary. According to Sina, Jobs' passing generated the largest amount of traffic in Weibo's history, with over 35% of total users posting unique messages about the former Apple chief in the day following his death. A Weibo tribute page to Jobs had nearly 75 million messages by midnight on October 7th. Below is a collection of Weibo posts and pictures from October 6-7, 2011. Click here for original Chinese posts 中文翻译.
I have never used any Apple products, but I admire Jobs’ talent. I hope that one day I can match his monumental work. Steve Jobs forever. --搁浅的小星星 High school student, Wuhan, Hubei
I have to say something about Jobs’ passing. Although I do not like that Apple is sealed off [develops products privately], I was always impressed by its perfection. He is gone, and so is his spirit of “If I can't do it, who can?” In the future, will Apple be the same innovative company that has led us in the past ten years? Jobs, take care, I will miss you. --吴誉槐 Beijing
Everyone is an apple missing a bite, whether we are lacking beauty or a bit of luck. The brilliant Steve Jobs was also missing something - his health. The only thing that cannot be missing is the core: the spirit of innovation and motivation. As long as the core has not rotted away, why bother missing a bite? --张泉灵 CCTV News Anchor, Beijing
At this moment, I am sick of some people’s reaction over Jobs’ death. Jobs died, you eat a bite of an apple and throw it away; when Bill Gates dies, will you smash windows and throw it on the ground? Only because everyone uses Windows, but Apple is out of reach for many people? I am deeply impressed by the changes brought by Apple, but I still have to admit some Chinese people's XX [twisted] psychology. --逐鹿先生 Beijing
America has CEOs like Steve Jobs, officials like Gary Locke, rich men like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, strong corporations like Microsoft, Apple, Intel, Oracle, Coca-Cola, IBM and Wal-Mart. America has at least 70% of the core technology in today’s world (0 for China), which is the source for a powerful America. I don’t want to talk about other advantages; China falls far behind in this one aspect. Chinese people should improve! --zys-阿升 Heyuan, Guangdong
Why do so many Chinese grieve over Jobs’ death? It is said that Chinese hate the rich, but millions of Chinese people grieve over Steve Jobs’ death. This shows that what Chinese hate is not the money. People who become rich by their individual talent and innovation will be respected and admired by the Chinese people. What Chinese hate is those people who become rich by power, monopoly, corruption, fraud, bribes, exploitation and force. --苏渝 Professor/Writer, Shanghai
Right after the iPhone 4s announcement, King Jobs passed away. He had no regret because he left the world as a legend that will be imitated but never surpassed. Rest in peace, though, I have not become an Apple fan yet. --陈近南007 Shantou, Guangdong
I feel curious when I see “Sent from from Steve Jobs's iPhone.". Why have I never seen “Thomas Edison's invention” on a light bulb? Have never seen “Microsoft from Bill Gates”? Never even seen Lumiere Brothers' name on movies! Is it true that we only cherish a successful invention when it makes a lot of money? The change brought by an iPhone is equivalent to the change brought brought by lights and movies? I doubt it! --骑行的砖头 Changchun, Jilin [regular posts to Weibo feature a note that says "Sent from iPhone. On Oct 6th, Sina Weibo modified the note to say "Sent from Steve Jobs' iPhone]
It has been a day since we lost Jobs. On the internet, people from different countries with different skin colors are expressing grief and praise endlessly. People respect this visionary genius! However, if every industry had a Steve Jobs, and we are tempted by new products when we are still getting used to the old ones, when frequent [product] updating is driven by profits and when the Earth is filled with garbage, will it be a better world? --小亨空间 CEO, Beijing
Jobs spent his life creating fun products, but we spend our lives playing with these products. We buy Jobs, buy his achievements, but do not practice his ideals. --我慢慢呼吸 Shenyang, Liaoning
Jobs, I can’t afford to buy your Apple products. I hate you for making Apple a symbol of the rich. There will be more people missing you if you make it more affordable. --喻亮V Wuhan, Hubei
There are thousands of microblogs mourning Jobs’ death. The number leaves me shocked. Companies never lack a corporate culture but very few possess a [truly] industrious culture. Many Apple fans may not have known who he was a few days ago, but now also drift along [mourn] with others. I think they are showing their faith in Apple's beliefs, or are recognizing Apple's culture and Jobs as the respected hero behind it. --CNR李圣 Beijing
Why do so many people mourn Jobs now that he is gone? They are just following the trend! Did you know this person when he was alive? --Ana_JJ Daqing, Heilongjiang.
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| Outside the Apple Store in Sanlitun, Beijing. |
Outside the Apple Store in Pudong, Shanghai. |
Original Chinese Weibo Posts
搁浅的小星星 ：没用过乔布斯什么东西，但是欣赏他的才华。希望有一天能向着他的丰碑努力，永远的乔帮主。
吴誉槐 ：JOBS走了,必须要说点什么.虽然我不喜欢苹果的封闭,但一直被它的完美而折服,他走了,舍我其谁的引领恐怕也要走了,未来的苹果,还会是我们这十年所领略的创新的苹果么？JOBS,走好,我会想你.
张泉灵:【 每个人都是缺了一口的苹果 】每个人都是缺了一口的苹果，或者缺了美貌，或者缺了运气，灿烂如乔布斯也缺了健康。惟独不能缺的是那个苹果核：创新的精神和前进的动力。只要没被蛀空了苹果核，缺一口又何妨？
逐鹿先生：至此，我对乔老爷子过世后部分中国人的反应有些反胃了……乔老爷子死了，你们吃一口苹果扔地上；哪天盖茨死了，你们也会把窗户卸了敲碎玻璃，扔地上？只因windows已走入寻常百姓家，而苹果有些可望不可及么？我也深深感受到苹果带来的改变，但是，我还是要承认部分中国人的XX心理。
zys-阿升 ：美国有乔布斯这样的CEO，有骆家辉那样的官员，有比尔盖茨、巴菲特那样的首富，有微软、苹果、英特尔、甲古文、可口可乐、IBM、沃尔玛等这样强劲实力的企业，世界最核心技术美国占了至少七成（我国为0），也是美国强大的源动力，别的优势咱就不说了，仅此咱中国就差尼玛太远了。国人当自强啊！
苏渝 : 乔布斯走了为何让这许多中国人哀悼------都说中国人仇富，可是乔布斯死了引起数以亿计的中国人悼念。这说明中国人仇的不是富，依靠个人才华和创新创造的财富一样会受到中国人民的尊重和敬仰。中国人民仇恨的是依靠权势、垄断，腐败，欺骗，贪赃、剥削、压榨所获得的财富
陈近南007 ：#乔布斯去世#Iphone 4S刚刚发布，乔帮主就撒手归去，他倒是没有遗憾，留给世界的却是一个一直被模仿，从未被超越的传奇，一路走好，虽然我还没有成为果粉
骑行的砖头：看到“该消息来自乔布斯的iphone”我很好奇！为什么我从未见过灯泡上写过来自爱迪生的发明？也从未见过来自盖茨的微软呢？更没有在看电影的时候看到卢米埃尔兄弟的名字！难道成功的发明还要搭配上从你兜里冠冕堂皇的掏出一大笔钱才值得缅怀？一部iphone能等同电灯电影给人们带来的改变么？我疑惑！
小亨空间：一觉醒来，世间已无乔布斯一日有余。网上不分肤色国界，悼念赞誉不绝。人们对这位突破创新者满怀敬意！换个角度看，如果各行各业大量涌现乔布斯这样的人。当我们手上的产品还没捂热，又被新一代产品勾得心痒痒。当利润驱动产品频繁换代。当地球充斥用宝贵资源打造的垃圾。这样的世界，还会更美好吗？
我慢慢呼吸：乔布斯终其一生，为了创造好玩的东西。而我们终其一生，为了享受更多好玩的东西，我们消费乔布斯，消费他的成果而不是践行他的易趣和理想。
喻亮V ：乔布斯我到现在为止买不起你的苹果产品，有些恨你，让苹果成为有钱的代名词，要是能使许多人买得起我想有更多的人会怀念你的！
CNR李圣 ：乔布斯去世，竟有千万条微博在悼念他，这个数字让我震惊。很多企业从来不缺企业文化，而是缺少产业文化。很多果粉可能在前几天还不知道乔布斯为何方神圣，如今却也随波逐流，我想他们是想表达一种对苹果这个品牌的信仰，或是对苹果这个产业文化的认可，而乔布斯依附着苹果成为了受人尊敬的伟人。
Ana_JJ ：为什么乔布斯没了，这么多人怀念呢？跟风！他在世的时候你们知道这个人吗？
Designed by 19-year-old Jonathan Mak, a student at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design.