Pots was Taiwan’s first free, left-leaning newspaper, founded in 1994 and funded by Shih Hsin University, which also provided equipment and printing. In 2014, the university and board of directors announced the cessation of Pots, citing ‘reduced funding.’
According to Facebook’s first official Taiwan user data released in 2013, at least 10 million people accessed Facebook daily. Based on Taiwan’s population of 23.35 million, more than 4 in 10 Taiwanese used Facebook every day — a level of engagement exceeding that of any other country.
Republic Centennial (民國百年) was a year-long sound survey project with members Chang Yu-sheng, Huang Ta-wang, and Chen Yi-tang.
Artist Wu Can-cheng launched a six-year Taiwan Sound Map Project beginning in 2010, dividing Taiwan into five regions and systematically collecting and recording sounds from every corner of the island.
The Taiwan Music Writing Collective was convened by independent music critic Tsai Cheng-chung (Magua). Founded to cultivate a culture of listening, writing, and discussion among audiences, it sought to document music through writing, connecting individuals whose passion for music had never received media attention.
Chandala Commune (K Society) was founded in 2009 by Chang Yu-sheng, then a doctoral candidate in political science at National Chengchi University. ‘Chandala’ is the Hindu term for the untouchable caste — those who are completely other or alien, beyond the four rungs of the caste hierarchy.
Yannick Dauby and Hsu Yen-ting collaborated in Chiayi County to build a sound database — the Chiayi Sound Project. They traveled through the countryside recording the local sounds of Chiayi County and constructing an archive.
iNDIEVOX was founded in 2007 by Wu Po-tsang, lead vocalist of the independent band ECHO. One of Taiwan’s earliest legal MP3 download platforms (predated only by Rock Cola), it dedicated itself to promoting independent music creativity, building a comprehensive music database, and continuously improving the platform.
To support Taiwan’s popular music industry and assist outstanding bands in recording and publishing albums, the Government Information Office launched a ‘Band Recording Subsidy Program’ in 2007, selecting original, creative, musically valuable, and unreleased band works for production and release.
A dispute between the New Taipei City Government and Corner Music led to two competing ‘Ho-Hai-Yan’ rock festivals being held simultaneously in 2006, confusing audiences and highlighting the tensions between official sponsorship and independent music organizing.