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Comment by randunel | Hacker News Reader

This description sounds a lot like eastern europe :) When I used to live there, electricity was only available when it wasn't raining. The internet was really crappy and it used to cost a pretty big percentage of my salary. Investors were practically non existent, and the brain drain took its toll on any innovation attempt (alongside the corruption). I have now left eastern europe for a better western country, and I have to face their '1st world' complaints. A brit does not, can not understand what that is like. I think the same goes for americans. Feel free to downvote your ignorance :)

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I can totally relate to this, but it gets better, doesn't it? Today Internet is often faster and cheaper in the eastern europe than in the west. We no longer need computer books so much. As for brain drain, it's more of an opportunity if you're a developer.

On the other hand, we have every piece of software available in the pirated form and had no shame of using that. Haven't we?

For what it's worth, 250 Mbps (20Mbps up) connection costs $25 per month in Poland (24mo contract).

he's very probably exaggerating the electricity thing and yes the internet is better today in romania (where he left from) than in many other west european countries mostly due to brand new communication infrastructure and a booming IT sector.

@leaveyou exaggerating? really? Otopeni had power outages during most rainfalls, although it's neighboring Bucharest. I still talk to people there (relatives) complaining about this situation in 2014. I know that the capital city had it easy, and probably still does, along with other major cities. But the only internet available in small cities was via copper phone lines. I could go on about this forever, we had to use electricity generators and diesel heaters just 10 km away from the capital city. I guess some people take a lot for granted :P

Nope, I worked in west Africa and spent time in Accra. If anything he is underselling the electricity issues of that part of the continent. Big organization have their own diesel generators because power will go out 10 to 20 times a day especially in residential neighborhoods where power isn't considered essential.

sorry for the ambiguity, I was replying to #guard-of-terra who was replying to #randunel who was complaining that eastern europe is a lot like africa in the sense that there are frequent electricity blackouts and bad internet, which to me is difficult to believe (he's was very unlucky).

Exaggerating? No. When I was in TZ the power was out at least 12 hours out of 24, and this was in a good neighborhood.

Wouldn't an UPS be useful for offsetting the power supply problem? Even just a laptop with a battery in would help you through intermittent fallouts. And for longer stretches, a diesel generator should work. What am I missing?

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