The 200th year since Jullien published his influential book "Esquisse et vues preliminaries d'un ouvrage sur l'éducation comparée" (Preliminary plan and views of a work of comparative education) is an opportunity to reflect on the field of comparative education and potential new research and theoretical directions. This paper will consider the potential role of information and communication technologies in comparative education scholarship within the context of Jullien's plan for comparative education. Specifically, it uses the example of interactive Uyghur language websites to highlight their value as a vehicle for informal education, and how an understanding of cultural context, illuminated by an analysis of the content of social media messages, may contribute to more appropriate and successful educational policies for minority populations. Data for this paper are drawn from posts from the online community forums (munbar) of four popular Uyghur language websites.