The term 发帖 (fā tiě) is deeply rooted in the culture of China's early internet forums (BBS, or 论坛 lùntán). In the late 1990s and 2000s, platforms like Tianya (天涯) became massive virtual public squares where millions of people would 发帖 to discuss everything from celebrity gossip to social issues. A key cultural concept that emerged from this is the 楼主 (lóuzhǔ), which means “landlord of the building” and is the term for the Original Poster (OP). This is a fascinating contrast to the more generic Western “OP.” The term 楼主 implies a sense of ownership and responsibility over the “building” (the thread) they created by 发帖. Other users are “tenants” or visitors who reply on different “floors” (e.g., a reply might be called “2楼” or “the 2nd floor”). This reflects a more structured, community-centric view of online discussion compared to the often flat, chronological comment sections in the West. When you 发帖, you are not just sharing an opinion; you are building a space for discussion.
发帖 is a very common, informal term used by all Chinese netizens.
The act of 发帖 results in a 帖子 (tiězi), which is the noun for “a post.”