Let’s get started.

Three, two.

Right…

I’m not sure if you can help me with this, but…Oh, thank you. I’m sorry I don’t have my business card…

Yeah, I was involved in the original planning, but not the day-to-day execution of this. It’s an NDC policy.

Yeah, because I was talking to Tom Fifield. I’m not sure if you…

To who?

Tom Fifield. I’m not sure if you remember him. I’m pretty sure he talked to you as well.

Ah, Tom.

Tom, yes. He is living in Banqiao. He’s also a software engineer. He was one of the first people to actually get the gold card.

That’s right, yes.

He suggested that I see you with this. The thing that I’m wondering about here is specifically the point about…

Eligibility prerequisite.

Yes, exactly. I think it’s this one that I’m interested in.

It’s about the documents proving the work experience are relevant to you?

Yeah, exactly. Work experience-wise, that’s no problem. The problem I’m having is the awards thing, because that…

Awards?

Yeah, that’s the…Where is it? The first one is just the document confirming the time that I worked. The second one was some kind of confirmation that I worked with particular technologies in the field, where the third one is, yeah, it was the on board…

It’s not like you have to give all of it, for example this cause for technology licensing contract. If you work in the field that there is no patent or licensing application – for example, in fashion design, there is no such thing as a patent, sometimes not even copyright – in which case, there will be no technology licensing contract.

Basically, what happened is I submitted the two documents that I have. Then they called me back from the Ministry of Labor, I believe. Tom was quite surprised that it’s the Ministry of Labor calling me, not the Ministry of Technology.

It seems that they want a receipt with giving the documents to Ministry of Technology, unless I meet all the criteria that are in the document.

What I’m trying to say is that, if it’s not applicable, then you should probably just tell them that: “it’s not applicable.”

OK, that’s easier than I thought, actually. With licensing, it’s tricky, especially with all…That’s the other thing. I thought that the award was necessary, but for example, there is no mention here of open source, which…

That’s what I mean, because if you don’t have a document-ratifying receipt or things like that, I think all you have to do is to provide a written note to explain why that is not applicable in your field or in your line of work.

For example, if it were me, then I really don’t have any technology patent. Then I will write a small note saying that I work on open source technology. It is actually against our fashion to get a patent. I am against software patents in general, anyway. [laughs]

Fair enough.

Things like that. Basically, for the Ministry of Labor, what’s required is just this procedure requirement that, for each of these tick boxes, they have to have an A4 paper or something. That’s just a procedural requirement.

Even if that paper just states that…

The content may actually say that, “In my field, there is no such thing as patents.”

Ah, OK, understood. That’s what I need to do, just that’s it, just upload it. From what I talked to the lady at the ministry, it sounded like, unless I have an award, that there is no way that I’m considered.

Of course, they would strongly prefer that you have a professional field award. It could be not necessarily internal. It could be an internal, domestic recognition. It can be a, like in the Perl community, we used to have this White Camel Award, which is just the community giving to community contributions.

It could be domestic. Whether it qualifies as major or not, that’s up to the Science and Technology Ministry, Economy Ministry, or whatever. There is a jury panel. The MLL will strongly prefer if you have something.

Fair enough. Really, what I have to do is just resubmit the letter saying that I am against that and listing all of my contributions.

Right. Any recognition would do. It doesn’t have to be an international award, like the Nobel Prize or something.

Yeah, it sounded like obviously they would require it.

There is no Nobel Prize in our field, either. [laughs]

Exactly, so that’s what I wasn’t sure of. OK, brilliant. Then I think that’s it. That’s really all I needed to know. Another small thing that I wanted to ask you, just not really connected to…

Sure, it’s fine.

It’s foreigner-related. How should I report cases? Like a really minor case would be a bus stop sign.

A what?

A bus stop sign, where a Chinese name is correct and the English name is not.

In Taipei City, you just call 1999 or something.

That’s exactly…I didn’t call them, and maybe that’s the problem, because I wasn’t sure if they speak English. I sent them an email in English. I did receive a reply saying that that’s fixed, however, it’s just not. It’s still there.

Huh.

Then I replied to them saying that that’s fixed, but I didn’t get any reply.

The 1999, I think, have had for five years now a free interpretation service.

OK, so I just call them.

Which means probably that they will have people in English.

Just call them, rather than writing an email.

That’s right.

OK, brilliant. I think that’s it. Thank you so much, then, that case.

Cheers, thank you.

Thank you.