Just got to Taipei, is there a place you can search for bus routes? I’ve been to the city website but it’s not much help. I’m thinking something along the lines of hopstop.com for New York; where you put in your location and it gives you the correct route.
anyone?
Jmk
Have you tried searching for bus in Forumosa.com’s search function? That’s generally the best place to start when searching for anything. 
Select search topic titles only, and return topics only, and you’ll see a list of existing threads on the topic, some of which have links to websites or pdf files, like this one for instance:
[Taipei Bus Lines - Useful Link
Here is one of the sites linked to:
taipeibus.taipei.gov.tw/index_e.htm
I hope that helps! 
The OP most likely did search and got the above link, via the above thread posting the above link to the gov’t website. He/She said it’s not very helpful though, and was asking for an alternative. I agree with the OP that the gov’t site kinda sucks and have searched to no avail for an alternative myself.
Tried to download one of the maps on the gov’t site yesterday and it took about an hour and almost crashed my computer. Then, I realized that map 1 and map 2 are two halves of the same map, and in order to figure out how to get from one end of the town to the other I’d need to download both maps and piece a route together by switching back and fourth between the two. Lame. I’ll probably be retired and leaving Taiwan by the time both those f@*#ers load. Will give it another go though.
If you do find an alternative please let me know, and I will do the same. Good luck, you should probably just ask a friend or someone at your job how to get where you need to go. Or, just spend a day riding random buses to see where they take you.
Well, you could be right. 
I just assumed that the OP was unaware of the relevant existing threads and all the info in them since the OP started a new thread instead of posting over there.
I can completely empathize with the frustration both of you feel, though. When I was new to Taibei, I had to invest a large amount of time in modifying a crappy printed bus guide available back then in order to render it useable. After a couple years of frustration with buses not showing up, buses refusing to stop, buses changing route without notice, and so on, I said screw it and bought a scooter. 'Twas a good move. 
Anyway, I’ll likely merge this with an existing thread shortly.
Use google maps transit feature. Sure it means having internet access and kinda sucks when you’re on the street without an iphone. However, when you’re at home it is an excellent planning tool. Especially with the streetview now. I know this doesn’t really solve the OP’s problem, but it could help in the long term once the OP gets to know the main buses that stop near his/her home etc.