Subj : Re: Industry Calls for More Foreign Programmers
To   : comp.programming
From : topmind
Date : Sun Aug 21 2005 12:39 pm


Prafulla Harpanhalli wrote:
> topmind wrote:
> > Are you saying it is not significantly less expensive to live around
> > Bangalore than say Los Angeles or San Jose?
>
> My sister stayed in Bay area for nearly 4 years and she had pretty
> decent savings at the end; something she cannot have even after 10
> years of stay here in bangalore. I am serious.

But that is an issue of the ratio of pay to expenses, not the absolute
pay. I am saying that US citizens have to compete with those who accept
lower absolute wages because their cost of living is lower, or that
they are in the US to get a retirement nest-egg to use later back home
rather than spend it in the US.

In otherwords, compared to the alternatives, IT is far less lucrative
to US citizens. It is true that some US citizens retire in Mexico to
stretch their savings, but one can build up such a retirement by
digging ditches in a union job that pays almost what the average
programmig job pays.

Ditch diggers are thus not competing at world wages but IT workers are.
So naturally students will shun IT, making a self-fullfilling
"shortage" prophecy come true, which these lobbyists are taking
advantage of to yet further the slide.


>
> > Even if Bangalore grew more expensive, say the New Tokyo, there are
> > still cheaper cities in India.
>
> I agree, but by and large bangalore is the only place when it comes to
> IT related investments. There are a few other locations though,
> Hyderabad being relatively cheaper.
>      
> --
> Prafulla Harpanhalli

-T-

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