Our team comprised members from different socio-economic backgrounds. This allowed us to look the the issue of copyright infringement from different viewpoints, and hence understand the sentiments of people living in both developed and developing countries.
Jared, having come from a wealthy family, could afford not only essential software such as Microsoft Office, but also luxuries such as music and games. His views on the matter were extremely useful in understanding the viewpoint of those able to fully benefit from the latest developments in information technology, usually hailing from developed countries in the western world.
Kah Hou, on the other hand, was not financially well-off, and he first used a computer at the age of 13, during computer lessons in school. He is thus able to represent people who see the world speeding ahead through the use of information technology, but are unable to benefit likewise due to financial difficulties. Such cases usually occur in the developing world.
Wei Zhong, Shu Li and Shu De, hailing from a moderately well off financial background, could represent the views of those caught in-between - wealthy enough to afford essential software such as Microsoft Office, but unable to enjoy luxuries such as computer games and music.
Our religious backgrounds also increased the diversity of our perspectives, especially in the area of ethics. Jared is a staunch Christian, Kah Hou and Wei Zhong are freethinkers, while Shu Li and Shu De are Buddhists.
Apart from our diverse backgrounds, the team also undertook extensive research online to increase our diversity of viewpoints. Our research covered websites of organizations actively working against copyright infringement, blogs and forums on the issue, studies providing empirical evidence on the extent of damage caused by copyright infringement, amongst other sources. Taking care not to leave out views from those in the developing world, the team also visited Chinese forums to research on the views of the Chinese. This was extremely invaluable in adding breadth to our viewpoints, especially as China is recognized to be a nation where copyright infringement is rampant.
The diversity of viewpoints provided by team members, along with the extensive research that we undertook, meant that we could effectively present a wide variety of arguments on the issue of copyright infringement. This, we believe, has indeed enhanced the global relevance and educational value of our site, and made it much more worth reading in comparison to one-sided websites preaching a particular viewpoint.
