Hi, >> We may never learn the true extent that computers have penetrated Ethiopia. >> But the "low thousands" surely can't be correct in that the nation has >> electricity,
In the main branch of the National Bank of Ethiopia, in Addis Ababa there are 150 tellers' booths servers customers. Behind each booth is a team of approximately 12 people doing the paperwork because they don't have computers. There are probably fewer than 10 computers in that part of the building, and they're used to calculate foreign exchange for people like me. This isn't a bank in some provincial hick town, this is the main branch of the national bank. The national airline has computers only in one or two offices in the capital and a couple of provincial towns. Everywhere else it takes 3 days to buy a ticket while they check availability over the phone. I've been into people's homes at both ends of the poverty spectrum, from the poorest of country people to international diplomats and none of them have computers. Last time I was there there was no water in Addis Ababa for 6 days. I went, with my diplomatic friends, to a reception given by the US amabassador at which nobody, and I mean nobody, had washed for 6 days! Believe me, computers are not widespread. > "Bear in mind that the average family income in these countries is less than > US$ 100- >> per year." > I'm not going to get into a p*issing match here, but your figures are far too > low and border on the ludicrous. the World Bank gives the per capita Gross National Income figure for Ethiopia in the year 2000 as exactly US$ 100-. (http://www.worldbank.org/data/countrydata/aag/eth_aag.pdf) > I made the original remark in context with being able to view pictures in those > countries without a vast network of electricity. Eastern Europe come easily > to mind. No. You made your remark in terms of the poorest countries, as follows: > Those who travel widely can testify that even in the poorest countries, > people have radios, CD players, film and digital cameras, ~AUTOMOBILES~, > televisions-etc.. ...and Ethiopia is not even the poorest country. --- Bob mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Thursday, November 22, 2001, 10:41:19 PM, you wrote: > In a message dated 11/22/01 2:56:58 PM Eastern Standard Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: >> "I'd guess that you could count the number of computers, etc., in private >> hands in Ethiopia in the low thousands, in a total population of about 60 >> million." >> >> We may never learn the true extent that computers have penetrated Ethiopia. >> But the "low thousands" surely can't be correct in that the nation has >> electricity, but not near the degree of America. I'm reminded that >> electricity is all over Europe, but outdoor toilets still prevail in some >> areas. Some areas of western Europe have more private telephones than >> indoor toilets. So electricity is not the benchmark to measure >> > "Most of the country doesn't have electricity to run these things. Most of > the people >> couldn't afford batteries even if they were available." > Again, you must not have traveled in the small metro areas I've been in." > "Bear in mind that the average family income in these countries is less than > US$ 100- >> per year." > I'm not going to get into a p*issing match here, but your figures are far too > low and border on the ludicrous. > Maybe we travel to different countries. "Poor" does not indicate "Destitute," > though some countries in eastern Europe qualify for the title, as well as a > nation like Ethiopia. My remark was not intended to explain poverty. I made > the original remark in context with being able to view pictures in those > countries without a vast network of electricity. Eastern Europe come easily > to mind. > More succinctly: you need electricity to use a computer or view images on it. > To view photographs, one only needs ~light~. > Mafud > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [EMAIL PROTECTED] - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
