Standard Software for Statisticians  / 1988 Course in Sierra Leone

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Standard Software for computers was not new in the 80s, but it was for the Microcomputers. Most applications and solutions had to be programmed in a one of the available programming languages on the small computers. Moreover they differed due to different Operating Systems. By the end of the 80s Apple and Microsoft had established themselves as leaders of the pack. Standard software then emerged immediately. Firsts Word-processing, but spreadsheet software and data base programs followed closely. Even standard software for statisticians on Microcomputers was not far away.

The first courses, like this on in Sierra Leone (one of the sur-place courses shaped in the likeness of the training been given in Munich), employed Word-processing, Database and Graphics software to solve typical survey data processing tasks of a Statistical Office in Africa  

The international course with participants from West Africa was held in a rather difficult situation in Freetwon. Political unrest, frequent power cuts made life for the inhabitants of Sierra Leone difficult. It is known that it became much harder still. Some people from Western countries however, not all of them, but many seemed to be tax evaders from Bavaria, enjoying drinks on Lumley beach. The conference itself was run downtown and molested by frequent power cuts. Things improved slightly when generators were rented. Another bottleneck was the per diem payment in SL shillings, due to inflation only available in small denominations, requiring a lot of counting and recounting and strong arms to carry the money in big boxes from the bank to the conference

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1988 Course in Sierra Leone