myers@uwmacc.UUCP (Latitudinarian Lobster) (11/03/85)
Computing in Nicaragua Seventh of an eight part series. While working as a consultant for an academic computing center of a major university is relatively rewarding and satisfying, it took a trip to a developing nation to find out what computer science is really all about (or should be about). Many of the people with prior computing experience have left the country for economic reasons, but it was truly a joy to see groups of bright and interested, if somewhat ignorant by our standards, computer programmers and operators striving to take up the slack. In the United States, in a country of 240,000,000 people, it's pretty hard to feel like anything other than a rather minor cog in a large, internal combustion engine. In Nicaragua (about the same size and population as our own state), it is much easier to see how each person is contributing to the development of the country, it is much easier for a knowledgeable teacher to have a clear, beneficial impact on a major institution of the country. Because of this, it is also easy for a norteamericano to develop a swelled head and an inflated ego. At risk of self-aggrandizement, let me describe what I was able to accomplish during my two-week stay in Managua, then conclude with a general summary of the state of computing in Nicaragua. I worked for three different organizations during my stay. I started out at the Ministry of Finance (Ministerio de Finanzas, or MIFIN), fully expecting to spend all two weeks there working with their IBM 370 model 115, an ancient, expensive hulk of a mainframe with about the same computing power as an IBM-PC. I had been led to believe that there was fruitful work to be done in improving the operation of the system, but it quickly became clear that there was no reason to mess around with the smoothly operating, if slow, system. The staff of 16 knowledgeable COBOL and RPG-II programmers there really have things under control, and there was no reason for me to meddle, other than to re-emphasize that they should work towards replacing the machine. My day and a half stay at MIFIN was thus somewhat depressing until I discovered that the ministry owns and uses two Macintosh micros for word processing. After they were brought to my attention, I found that only two very knowledgeable but busy people were acquainted with their use. It also became clear that nearly everyone was interested in learning about them - if you've ever been forced to deal with an IBM 370 you'll immediately know why; Macintoshes are designed to be easy to use and use a desktop file management system. Unfortunately the systems were in pretty heavy use during that period, so I simply reccommended in my report to the compan~era in charge of the computer division that a tecNICA volunteer be placed at MIFIN for two days to give introductory classes on the Macintosh, and then that tecNICA leave them alone to experiment with the micros on their own. As there was so little for me to do at MIFIN, I was shuttled off on Tuesday afternoon to help another volunteer (who had just quit a lucrative job with DEC in Massachusetts to wander Latin America at 40 years of age) attempting to learn DBASE III (a database language) on an IBM-PC which had been temporarily loaned to the Banco Central. After he had figured out DBASE III, he was to teach a small group at the bank the rudiments of the language. There is a possibility that a pilot project will be started at the bank using IBM-PCs and DBASE III which will work on automating the teller transaction process (similar to that used by the tellers at your bank). It can currently take up to two hours to perform a bank transaction in Nicaragua. The rest of my stay in Managua was spent with the people at COFARMA, the company which has primary responsibility for the whole- sale sales of medical supplies (drugs, surgical equipment, etc.) to smaller wholesale houses and hospitals. Their old computer, which I won't dignify by naming since the company is long dead, had recently croaked and wasn't worth saving, so they have been running for several months using their old inventory printouts. They now have a small Kaypro-II micro with an Epson printer which is going to take over their database system. When I arrived, they didn't know too much about the system other than writing programs with Microsoft BASIC. Initially I simply helped them to understand each of the operating system commands (CP/M), showed them a little bit about DBASE II, and covered the unfamiliar commands and functions in BASIC for them. For- tunately there was a guy there who spoke excellent English and could translate effectively to help me through the tough spots - he also has an excellent head as a programmer, quickly catching on to all of my explanations. After this phase, I was able to show them how to effectively organize and comment large BASIC programs, introducing and emphasizing various good programming habits which I've picked up here and there working and TAing. After that, I just let them do their own thing, answering occasional questions. With their past programming experi- ence, their in-depth knowledge of their own company, and the good habits and new knowledge that I was able to impart to them in my brief stay, I'm certain that they will quickly have their automated inven- tory system up and running again, and that it will be vastly improved over their old version. And now to the more general discussion - the question which should immediately be raised is, ``How appropriate is it to introduce computing technology in Nicaragua?'' I believe that the answer to this question is ``Yes, it's quite appropriate, but caution is advised.'' It's quite clear that computers can greatly aid the produc- tivity of organizations which are forced to manipulate large quanti- ties of information. When introducing new levels of automation, it is important to allow for disasters, especially in today's Nicaragua, given the war, the US embargo, and other economic aggressions organ- ized by the US. One must always allow for returning to the old, non- automated system. A major difference in what is appropriate in the US and what in Nicaragua is in the area of computer centralization and networking. There is a great deal of centralization of information in the US today, utilizing large computers, exchange of information over com- puter networks, etc.; it is economically and technologically viable and enhances productivity (although it makes surveillance of individu- als easier). Such centralization is to be avoided in a developing country, for various reasons, including the necessity of increased expertise, increased dependance on the smooth functioning of an increasingly complex system, security considerations, and individual privacy issues (all too many security forces in Latin America use US developed computers and systems). Many are the problems in Nicaragua today, and they include lack of computer equipment, maintenance personnel, knowledgeable program- mers, and lack of foreign exchange. Organizations like tecNICA (described in more detail in the next article) are working to combat US supplied arms to the contras with North American aid to the people, the nation, and their everyday concerns. Next: Helping Nicaragua - What You Can Do.