School: Zhong Shan Girls Senior High School
    Taipei, Taiwan, Taiwan

9 students, ages 16 - 17 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 17, 2006. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2006

Classes and Teachers: Zhong Shan Girls Senior High School Information Study Club

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.csghs.tp.edu.tw

1. Description of Our Community

An internet community established in Taiwan. Constituted by younger generations recording their lives and expressing themselves.

2. Summary of Our Project

The famous “Wretch” station on the internet recently transformed to “Wretch Corporation Ltd.” Wretch was a website practiced and initiated by a graduate student of National Chiao Tung University, the current Stationmaster. It was not expected to develop to a famous company during several years. The project we are making is to discuss the process of Wretch’s development from a BBS station to a registered company, the ideas of Wretch and future prospects.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:1

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:2-3

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

The first difficulty we met at the beginning of registrating for the Cyberfair was the control of progress. Each of us was busy with study since we were the fourteenth-grade students. We could only take the time of mid-day break to discuss the general direction we were going to research. During this period, we had been through two mid-term tests. The time we could use became even less. Some peers were unable to find time to make it, so some work was distributed to others accordingly. Several classmates in charge of producing webpage had different opinions in styles. One of the classmates who did part of the webpage was not adopted by others without having prior communications and interactions. Therefore, information processing was handed to these classmates. As to the design of questionnaire, no one had any experience in it before. Additionally, the information searched was not enough. As a result, the questionnaire completed was not helpful to our research. It was a pity.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

We were inspired and touched by this research project. In the process of our interview with the Stationmaster of Wretch, he told us his attitude towards difficulties: “The only way to face difficulties is to solve them.” During the research, we encountered many difficulties we had never met. We thought of giving up. But the words said by the Stationmaster were hanging around in our minds. Those words reminded us that we were supposed to hang on no matter this was going to succeed or not. We were supposed to make our best to head forward to our targets.

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

We started learning from zero for this project either in team work, communications or power of bond. Each step played a key to success. In the process of production, we had to organize the information collected systematically. Then, we had to design a complete questionnaire for thorough analysis so as to obtain the results we want. Afterwards, we had to convey what we thought through text and beautiful webpage. We had to find a solution and understood how others could succeed, which might be a reference to us for our future. We learned a lot of new things either in career planning, group life or information capability.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

[computer] Collect information via the internet, reorganize related information and produce webpage (three notebooks are borrowed from the school and the rest are PCs))

[Telephone and Mobile] Contact members

[Digital camera] Shooting the process of production

[scanner] Scanning files of pictures or photos

[Recording pen] Recording for interviews

[Computer software] Frontpage (webpage production)?Flash (animation production)?PhotoImpact (webpage and picture production)

Generally speaking, the internet provided great help to us especially when we went to the school library to look for related reports made by magazines. We checked the website of Wretch’s customer service center and wrote down the titles of all magazines and newspapers which had interviews with Wretch. Therefore, the internet helped us to save a lot of time. Recording pen acted as a good assistant when we were thinking of giving up or losing our direction. What the Stationmaster Chien Chih Yu said was recorded in the pen. We were encouraged by him. We should learn from him to overcome the challenges and never give up. Keep on going.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

While we were conducting questionnaire survey, we would explain the purpose of our project. We hoped that the interviewees could understand that local industry in Taiwan had fought for their stance today by competing with big financial groups. Taiwanese youngsters are not all “strawberry group”. There are many people who are positive, willing to innovate and accept challenges.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

After further studying Wretch, we realized the “Wretch Spirit”. That is, “the best way to deal with difficulties is to solve them instead of running away. Failure is failure. We are still young. We should try something that we’ve never done before. There is nothing to lose as long as we hold on to our confidence and passion. Dreams are not that far to reach afterall.” We will go on for the future regardless how difficult the road is. If the “strawberry group” can learn such spirit, it is believed that they can surprise the whole world by the “Taiwan experience” created by them.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

[Passerby] They helped us fill in the questionnaires and provided us information as the state of users. [Stationmaster- Mr. Jang] He provided us many details about their experiences, such as their inspiration, process, ideas etc.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

As we mentioned earlier, we ignored something while designing the questionnaire. As a matter of fact, a lady suggested us how to collect the information we want most during the survey. We took the wrong direction. Many results we got this time could be obtained from the “Marketing Area” at Wretch’s website. The questionnaire is the most regretful part in the whole research project. However, if we had any chance like this, we would not forget the lesson. We would do our best to design a successful questionnaire after careful evaluations.