Thread: Panama and Computers

Originally Posted by Nosfer

What [were] you saying with "any computer geeks want to make money"? Are there many computer specialists to hire for pretty low money or, [is there a need for] a lot of computer specialists in panama?

There is no recognizable computer infrastructure like in the the U.S. or Europe; record-keeping is still done w/pencil and paper, researching is still done by hand, etc. Not only are there not a lot of computers, there are not a lot of people who know how to use them--and not a lot who can pay for lessons. Stores, shops, restaurants, etc. all run on pen/paper (that I've seen--I'm sure a few of them use desktops at some point.) Int'l hotels and the like will have basic comps for their desk operations, and for their business centers.

If one was sufficiently enterprising, I imagine that one could find a position as a systems administrator, DB specialist, i.e. any position that involves computer-language heavy duties, and you could probably name a decent salary as well (not as great as in the U.S. or Europe, but spectacular for Panama.)

Dell has a huge call-center there, they probably need more than their fair share of 'geeks' to keep their ops running.


Cheers.

Originally Posted by Nosfer

Well, I think computers are not too expensive. A Panamanian could afford one. You could make a business selling second-hand computers to those that [can't] afford a new, high [performance] one. Maybe found a company that could teach Panamanians more about the use of computers and internet. [This forum would be really overcrowded if something like that happened.]

As always, I seem to be the real rain on the parade...
Sure, even to someone making $25k U.S. annually, a computer is not out of reach; I don't know what that is for your part of Italy, but perhaps, like your American counterparts, you have to ability to finance a computer? Yes? Perfect--so you can pay $10 a month for a few years to pay for your bits and bytes; but even a second-hand computer at $150 US is far too much to pay for the avg. Panamanian, $10 a month--maybe, but that is a stretch.

The company that teaches Panamanians to use a computer? When will you teach these folks? When they are schoolchildren? No? As adults? Are they going to pay for these classes? How much? That's the question; they can't afford the computers, they can't afford the classes, they can't afford the internet. That is why it still remains a 'third world country with first world amenities.' Because those with the funds will import what they want, and not what the populace needs to advance. If the mass of the Panamanian populace 'advanced,' then it would not be anywhere as cheap as everyone from the U.S. would prefer that it stay.

All the folks that I know in Panama who have computers have moved back to the country after spending all their school years in the U.S. or Europe; they got their degrees and made $$ working overseas before 'moving back home to help Panama advance.' Most of them have expressed varying degrees of despondency over the lack of technological education available to schoolchildren.

Is it a problem? Maybe.
Do you still want to retire to a relatively inexpensive country? Yes? Then don't buy a computer for anyone but yourself...

Cheers.

I admire your hope for the future of gov't programs, but if I saw the Panamanian gov't actually spending $$ on its citizens, instead of its politicians, I might have to move back to the U.S.!
Please spend your next vacation down here, and get a first-hand view of what the gov't provides, and then fails to provide for its people. While it may not be as currently corrupt as other L.A. or S.A. countries, the history of an easily bribable gov't continues--perhaps you remember Noriega just two decades ago?

It would be lovely if the $100 laptop program were initiated here, then at least when Panamanians leave to make their fortunes in the U.S. or Europe, they wouldn't have to waste their time learning to use computers first. As gauche as that statement may sound, its alarmingly true; the D.C. area absorbs a lot of immigrants every year into the local economy, and our free basic computer skills classes are always packed across the board. Some of the kids that I met from Panama were familiar with what computers looked like from t.v. and peeking into IT cafes, but had never actually used on before.

One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a low-cost, connected laptop for the world's children's education
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/$100_laptop


Cheers.

Interesting concepts here. Not that I am a Luddite ( Luddite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) but I suppose one might ask the question: will introduction of modern technology result in the greater happiness of Panamanians in general? This question does not follow the current thread theme and might be best for a whole different discussion thread. Sort of like "should the Amazon be brought into the 21st Century" Maybe we need "reservations" where technology and it's results (often bad) have not gotten a stranglehold. I work for a very high technology company and questions do arise among my colleagues about the price of progress. Wonder if Panama would survive a devastating global warming. Canada might not since we are now far too dependant on technology.

Originally Posted by coolandhot

Lalaguayaba, you were talking about how D.C. and the United States in general "absorbs a lot of immigrants every year into the local economy" meaning they go there for the jobs, and you want the government in Panama to facilitate the process with $100 laptops. That's what I was responding to.

Anyway, it's all good.

Um, not all good--not even close...please go back and read the msg immediately previous to mine...
My comment was to Nosfer's post about the Panamanians buying computers; it had nothing to do with the Panamanian gov't buying anything for the ppl, or any form of gov't support for technology education. The $100 laptop would be within the purchasing arena of the avg. (read:fairly poor) Panamanian; a stretch to be sure, but far cheaper than the usual $1200 laptop that most ppl think of when it comes to mind.

The goal is not to rely on any form of gov't support, but to make the actual machine cheap enough for children in the developing world.

Pt.II; Facilitate the process? Ease the way for technologically skilled Panamanians to come to the U.S.? Oh my...that's crazy talk! To actually think that Panama would educate its populace so that would be assimilated more easily into the U.S...that's a laugh.
My point was that if cheap computers existed in Panama, then they would not have to leave in order to get a better education--it would already exist in cheap access to technology.

That's what I was responding to...

Cheers.