Quote

Flow of foreign direct investment drops 17% in Panama between January and March

Sat, 06/23/2018 - 19:21

The flow of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Panama totaled 1,098.5 million dollars in the first quarter of this year, with a decrease of 17 % over the same period of 2018, official statistics released.

Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Census (Inec) show that foreign capital income had in absolute terms a decrease of 225.6 million dollars between January and March, compared to the first quarter of the previous year.

It added that the percentage distribution of foreign capital income was 39.8 % of the item of other capital; 31.1 % in reinvestment of profits, and 29.1 % of shares and equity participation.

The flow of FDI totaled 5,319.2 million dollars in 2017 in Panama, which represented 8.6% of nominal GDP, as well as an increase of 1.8% compared to the result of the previous year, according to the official data.

Panama's economy grew by 4.2 % in the first quarter of 2018, while the indicator closed with an expansion of 5.4 % in 2017.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects Panama's GDP growth of around 4.6 percent for this year and around 6.8 percent by 2019.

http://www.panamatoday.com/economy/flow-foreign-direct-investment-drops-17-panama-between-january-and-march-7162

This is another in a series of audio podcasts by Chiriqui.Life. This podcast is an audio recording of the fourth in a planned series of Olde Timey Radio Shows to be produced by BCP. This performance was recorded live at the BCP Theater and Event Center on April 21, 2018. To view the event announcement, please visit:

To listen to this performance of the Olde Timey Radio Show, click below on the white, right-pointing triangle (arrow) on top of an orange circular background. If you see two options below, we recommend using the "Listen in browser" option as opposed to the "Play on SoundCloud" option.

This podcast is 1h 43m 47s duration.

If you would like to provide feedback about this podcast, or discuss other matters related to this podcast series, please either reply to this posting, or send CL Staff a private message (@Moderator_02 is the correct display name to communicate with), or email to support@chiriqui.life.

If you would like to share this podcast with family and friends, simply provide them the following URL, but remember that CL membership is required to view this content:
        http://www.chiriqui.life/topic/9383-chiriquilife-podcast-21-bcps-fourth-olde-timey-radio-show/

Audio and recording services by Phil Bennett. Postproduction by Boquete Recording Studio. All rights reserved.

Quote

OPINION: Panama’s perverted justice system

Posted on April 9, 2018 in Panama

 

Where judges sit on files

Post Views: 260

 

Those [Panamanians]investigated for high-profile corruption offenses have revealed a sinister truth: there is a differentiated treatment by the judicial system that favors them.

Dozens of suspects have escaped the action of the Public Ministry, simply taking a plane, many times private, hiding from the investigations, until their skilled lawyers manage to ensnare the process thanks to complacent judges.

The rules are extremely flexible and what is worse, the interpretation given to them by judges and magistrates to benefit plunderers of hundreds of millions of dollars from all Panamanians. These actions are not considered in any country of the world as a legitimate exercise of due process or the right of defense.
In the fourth year of legal proceedings against those allegedly responsible for high-profile acts of corruption, hearings are suspended, judges paralyze the investigations and the magistrates of the Supreme Court sit on the files. It is clear that the Judicial Organ and the legal profession have a lot to answer to society for impunity in the country. …LA PRENSA, hoyporhoy, Apl.9

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/opinion-panamas-perverted-justice-system

Quote

Only 33% trust Panama government – OECD

Posted on April 9, 2018 in Panama

Post Views: 175

 

WHILE   The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has given Panama  a pat on the back  for adopting policies  directed towards transparency, a report issued on Monday, April 9 from the body’s headquarters in Paris  shows that that only 33% of Panamanians trusted the government  in 2016, a figure below the OECD average (37%).

Policies adopted  such as the reform of public procurement laws so that the administration be more transparent and competitive, or the new rules on transparency in management public, which provide for the openness and availability of information for the public got a positive rating in the report “Economic Perspectives of Latin America 2018” published jointly by the Development Center of the  OECD and  the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Andean Development Corporation (CAF).

The report, which portrays the perception that citizens have of the public institutions, concludes that  Panama  occupies one of the top positions in the list However, the report, which portrays the perception that citizens have of public institutions, concludes that only 33% of Panamanians trusted the government in 2016, a figure below the OECD average (37%) The average for Latin America is at 29%. With Mexico the lowest in the region with 28%.

The document highlights that Panama has improved over the past decade in relation to the government effectiveness, going from 0.06 in 2005 to 0.30 in 2015, on a scale between -2.5 and 2.5, according to the World Governance Indicators.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/only-33-trust-panama-government-oecd

Introduction

After the usual announcements at the beginning of the weekly BCP Tuesday Morning Meetings on March 27^th, 2018, emcee Sheila Strunk introduced Dr. Paul Myers for this well-attended presentation about Volcan Baru. Dr. Myers had given this same presentation earlier this year, and it was a standing room only audience, with people trying to get into the theater but not able to do so for space reasons. Accordingly, Dr. Myers was approached about doing a repeat presentation so that others could hear his presentation. Again at this second briefing about Volcan Baru it was a packed audience.This time, however, his presentation was recorded for posterity. This posting provides access to the recording of his presentation.

Here is the meeting announcement of his repeat presentation as posted on CL:

Contact Information

Dr. Paul Myers, email paul.myers600@gmail.com

Presentation Materials

Click Here to download a PDF version of the presentation materials used by Dr. Myers. Notice: this file is approximately 4.75MB in size, and so it may take a bit of time to download to your computer.

Video Screencast

To view the screencast of Dr. Myers' presentation, simply click on the below graphical link. The video screencast is 1 hour 10 minutes 9 seconds duration. If you wish to view this video in full screen mode, click on the square full screen icon in the lower right of the screen (use your "ESC" key to return to regular screen display mode).

If you would like to provide feedback about this screencast, or discuss other matters related to this multimedia series here on CL, please either reply to this posting, or send CL Staff a private message (@Moderator_02 is the correct display name to communicate with), or email to support@chiriqui.life.

If you would like to share this podcast with family and friends, simply provide them the following URL, but remember that CL membership is required to view premium content on CL: http://www.chiriqui.life/topic/9127-chiriqui-life-screencast-19-volcan-baru-presentation-by-dr-paul-myers/

9 hours ago, Twin Wolf Technology Group said:

The Internet does not come with an eraser.   

This pretty much says it all.

Thanks, Dan.

Quote

Hearing begins into jail system corruption

Posted on March 25, 2018 in Panama

Post Views: 113

 

THIRTEEN   people  have been called  to a Monday, March 26 hearing  into corruption in Panama’s Penitentiary system.

The hearing was rescheduled from February after one of the accused changed lawyers’

According to a Public Ministry statement prosecutor Ruth Morcillo will participate in the hearing.

Among those charged are four current officials of the Penitentiary System, and three former officers.

http://www.newsroompanama.com/news/panama/hearing-begins-into-jail-system-corruption

After careful assessment of all information posted here and user feedback, and striving to remain true to the purpose of this website, some postings in this topic have been removed and this topic has been unlocked. Facts and commentary about such facts are welcomed here, providing that people are neither attacked nor vilified.

We attended this performance of the BCP Olde Timey Radio Show. What a treat it was. It was a nearly full auditorium, and the feedback we heard both during the intermission and post-performance chats was nothing but praise and appreciation. This was the third "episode" of BCP's Olde Timey Radio Show, and this was the best one yet. We heard and saw nothing that could be faulted.

Hats off to the performers and the staff and crew that made this such a success.

Here are some pictures taken during the performance:

Mike Schwartz in his role as the emcee.

The Spoon Full Blues Gang with Lee Sullivan on the saxophone.

David Phillips on keyboard playing one of his original compositions.

The sponsor's "wig skit"

Michael Cooper on guitar.

The Great Schwartz-o From the East reading sealed envelopes.

Juan Pablo (from Venezuela) on guitar.

Boquete Script Readers Group regarding "cheap airplane flights".

Dan Curtis singing two songs (At Last, and What A Wonderful World).

Dan McDonald from the Boquete Script Readers Group reading about the Thanksgiving "Pill".

David Phillips playing another of his keyboard compositions.

The "Quiz" with two people from the audience - Louise and Donny.

Another sponsor's advertisement for Uncle Floyd and the Mobil Pet Store.

Juan Pablo on guitar doing another number.

The Boquete Script Readers Group talking about the invention of a new coffee machine.

Spoon Full of Blues Gang doing another number.

Curtain call.

And finally, Phil Bennett, audio tech par excellence, who pulled everything together (having rehearsed in the dark with no electricity).

18 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

Google Maps

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Hs7Z

Across the street also from Banco BAC, close to the stoplights at Parque de las Madres.

12 hours ago, Bonnie said:

When I click on the map link, it takes me to my house.

The correct Google Maps hotlink to Restaurante Unplugged in David is Unplugged Gastropub.

Note that Google says the official name is Unplugged Gastropub.

We are extremely pleased to be able to update CL's basic configuration to now display a new masthead photo of "Proud Panamanian Culture on Parade". The photography is by Larry Wilkinson.

Thank you, Larry.

The Clubhouse (at the BCP Theater and Event Center):

Note: the word Jaramillo must be included in the city field, at least for the immediate future because of Google Maps requirements.

How to Post An Event on the CL Calendar

• Sign Out

This is a fairly lengthy posting. Please do not be turned off by that fact. Most of the length comes from the numerous screenshots. Posting of an event is not complicated, and shouldn't take more than about two minutes, once you have all of your information collected and access to your online graphics/documents.

What Is An Event?

In the real world, an "event" is something that happens or is regarded as happening, in other words an occurrence, especially one of some importance; an event is something that occurs in a certain place during a particular interval of time. Examples are a club meeting, a concert, a church service, a national holiday, a fund raising drive conducted on a TV or radio program, a celebratory party, an opening ceremony for a new business, etc. With regard to CL, an event is an entry (a posting) on one of the configured calendars.

Why is the Calendar So Important?

Why is it important to post events on the CL calendar? CL has a fairly sophisticated calendaring capability. This is important functionality for two primary reasons.

1. First, you get to advertise, publicize, or market your event so that you maximize participation, including by those other than with whom you directly communicate or know.
2. Secondly, by looking at the calendar while planning a future event, you can see what other events are scheduled during the time frame for your planned event. You may wish to reschedule your event if you find that a major event would be competing, thus lowering the likelihood of people attending your event.

The Upcoming Events Panel

There is a very important advantage for posting events on the calendar. There is a display of upcoming events on the CL homepage, and that display is called the "Upcoming events" panel. The software automatically updates the upcoming events panel to display a maximum of 25 events, in chronological order, and looking for one week into the future. See the below screenshot and pay particular attention to the rightmost area. What this means is that everyone who accesses CL will see the homepage, which includes the upcoming events panel. This panel provides a fantastic (and free) opportunity for event planners to place their event in front of many viewers on an ongoing basis. CL users do not have to go to some obscure or remote part of the website to find out what is happening in the area. Events on the calendar provide the data for the upcoming events panel.

How To Access the Calendar

The calendar itself is accessed by clicking on the "Calendar" icon in the upper left area of the browse tab while looking at the homepage. See the below screenshot.

What will then be displayed is the main calendar dialog, typically showing the current month and all configured calendars. From this window, you will be able to select the time period to be displayed, as well as the style in which it is displayed. See the below screenshot.

In the above screenshot, you will see that display option is a monthly period, and that the month being displayed is December 2017. If you wish to view a prior month or a following month, then you may click on the previous and next month hotlinks at the top left and top right of the main calendar display (they are shown as November 2017 and January 2018 in this screenshot).

If you wish to view the calendar information in other than a full month display, then you may select the "Week" or the "Day" options in the center below the title. There also is an "Event Stream" option, which we will not discuss in this topic, other than to say that the Event Stream is somewhat similar to the "Activity Stream" for viewing member activity in the forums, blogs, photo galleries, etc. You are free to pursue the Event Stream if interested.

How to Create A New Event

To create an event, simply click on the "Create event" icon while in the calendar display window, as shown in the below screenshot.

The next dialog (see below screenshot) is where you select which calendar is to be used for your event.

Note that the calendar functionality on CL is quite robust, and includes the ability to have different specific calendars (to be used for different purposes, or perhaps be viewed by privileged members, such as moderators or administrators). CL is currently configured with five calendars, and such that all calendar events are visible to all authorized users.

CL's calendars have been configured for several different purposes. Currently there are five different calendars:

• Community Events Calendar
• Repetitive Health, Exercise, Sports, Dance, Hobby Activities
• Religious and Spiritual Activities
• Holidays, Festivals, and Fairs
• Crime Reports Calendar

When you click on the calendar selection pull-down selection dialog, you will then see the five calendars currently configured on CL.

Regular members may post events on the first three of those five calendars. Only administrators and moderators may post on the last two calendars (and those are grayed out for those not authorized to create events on them).

You need to select which calendar to post your event on. For instance, if you are a minister and wanting to post your Sunday church services on the calendar, then you obviously would select the third calendar.

Most other events will be posted on either the first or second calendar. The difference between the two (as configured here on CL) is whether your event is a "discrete" event, meaning that it is a one-time event, which would use the first calendar, or if your event is more of a repeating "activity", such as a commercial fitness routine, which should select the second calendar.

If you are not clear about which calendar to post on, simply select one, and the moderators/administrators will routinely review and offer advice and/or reconfigure an event. This is not a crisis situation; don't lose sleep over it.

The most important and discriminating factor between the first and second calendar options is whether your event is a discrete (one time) event, or a repeating event.

Note that the five different calendars display using different colors on the calendar display. This helps users of CL who are looking at the calendar dialog to figure out what kind of events they are looking at. At times there can be many events on one day, and things can get confusing.

How To Input the Information That Is Needed to Create An Event

     Start With the Start Date, Start Time, Stop Date, and Stop Time Fields

The first group of configuration data is related to the start and stop date(s) and time(s), as well as if it is a "repeating" event.

This is the dialog that will cause the most difficulty. If you just take each step slowly, but knowing what the particulars of your event are, then this is just a clerical function. The reason for recommending going slowly is to get you not to assume that all events fit in the same profile. For instance, some events are "all day long" (e.g., a national holiday) and so have no start or end time (in reality these kinds of events do have a start and end time, but those times are midnight to midnight).

Note also that some events actually span multiple days (e.g., Carnival is a multi-day national celebratory period/event).

The start date and time data is inputted in the leftmost of the two date/time sections; the stop date and time data is inputted in the rightmost of the two date/time sections. Start with the start date and time, and also respond to the two "toggle" buttons below those fields. If you check the "Single day" button, then the rightmost field will request only the stop time; uncheck the "Single day" button, and the rightmost field will request both the stop date and the stop time. Similarly, if you check the "This is an all day event" then no start and no stop times will be requested.

One of, and perhaps the most important field to be configured during entering an event, is the timezone of the event. Refer to the green arrow in the above screenshot. This appears to be a difficult concept for some people to understand. Rather than bore you with unnecessary details, just be sure that the timezone, which is set in the pull-down selection list in the right area just below the date and time entries is set to the "America/Panama" setting. Failure to configure the correct timezone will produce strange/incorrect displays for other users of CL.

     How To Configure An Event As A "Repeating" Event (If Applicable)

The hardest concept to understand is that of a "repeating" event. Take for instance the Team Trivia fund raising event, which is held every other Tuesday at Skateworld. The basic event would indicate the first Team Trivia event, which has a start and end date (which would be the same date), and a start and end time. But then this event is repeated every other Tuesday, using the same start and end times. We will address repeating events in another paragraph or two. Just remember to keep the concept of a repeating event as something totally different from an event that spans multiple days.

Configuring a repeating event can be confusing to the uninitiated. There are many variations in how an event can repeat. You enter the repeating configuration dialog by clicking on the Repeating event configuration box; see the below screenshot (see the blue arrow).

When clicking the repeating link, then you get another dialog. See the below screenshot.

The first parameter to configure for a repeating event is the interval of the repetition. The options are daily, weekly, monthly, or annually. The second parameter is the frequency, which is a number.

There is a special case if you specify the interval to be weekly, and that is that you can specify which days of the week that an event occurs. For instance, if you have a club meeting on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 10:00AM to 11:00AM, during the month of February 2018, then you would create a new event that starts on February 2, 2018 (which is the first applicable day of the week in February 2018), be configured for repetition per the below screenshot.

And results in the following display:

One final comment about configuring a repeating event: Please do NOT configure your event to last forever. Doing so will result in an edit by a CL moderator or administrator. CL has a policy of allowing repeating events to be configured for about three months. If toward the end of that time frame your event is still valid, then your event can be either edited to extend the stop date, or reentered as a new event. Simply request assistance from @Moderator_02 or email to support@chiriqui.life.

     How to Enter The Basic Description of your Event

These fields are rather straightforward, and very similar to how one enters the data for a topic or reply. We are not going to repeat those details here, but rather refer you to http://www.chiriqui.life/topic/8125-how-to-post-a-topic-and-how-to-reply-to-a-topic/. Refer to the below screenshot for the fields associated with the basic event description fields.

The Remaining Fields that Need To Be Configured

There are only a few remaining fields that need your attention.

If you would like to include a "Cover Photo", then you can upload it. Be advised that the "Cover Photo" is something that displays behind only the header information in your event, but in several cases this can be very effective at creating reader interest.

The most important of those remaining fields is the Location parameter.

The Location Field (aka Google Maps Data)

The location field essentially is a Google Maps field that results in a graphical depiction of the location of the event. It is not difficult to configure, but baffles many people. This issue of configuring the Google Maps data fields has been made relatively easy as of early 2018. Many of the more common venues in the Boquete area have been "pre-defined", and it is simply a matter of scrolling down a pull-down list of those venues and selecting the appropriate venue.

Only if your venue is not one of the pre-defined venues, then we recommend that you review a separate topic here on CL. Simply go to that topic (Click Here for Google Maps Data), scroll down to find your venue, and then copy the configuration parameters directly into your event. Or perhaps you are already familiar with Google Maps and need no assistance.

(Optionally) Inserting One Of Your Photo Albums

If you have established a photo album, then it is easy to include those photos in your event by invoking the "Album" pull down menu. Most CL members tend to skip over this function. If you invoke this option, then all of the photos in the selected album will be appended to the bottom of your event.

The Final Review and Submission of Your Event

Go back to the top of your event and review everything. When you are satisfied that you have provided as much information as you can, then click on the "Submit an event" at the very bottom of the window.

How To Reply With Citations to Multiple Postings Within A Topic

The prior reply discusses how to cite one posting in a topic. This reply discusses how to cite multiple postings from within the same topic. This is NOT an option that is frequently used, but the functionality is available for you to use when needed.

The primary difference between citing one posting and citing multiple postings is the button that you use to specify/select citation(s). The "Quote" button is used to cite only one posting. Note that immediately to the left of the "Quote" button is a "+" icon. Once a posting has been selected with the "+" sign, it then changes to a check mark. See the below screenshot.

The only differences between a single citation and multiple citations are:

1. the button to click to indicate which posting(s) are to be cited, and
2. the need to click on the execution link in the lower right of your screen, which is to be done after you have selected all of the relevant postings.

There is no limit to the number of postings that can be cited, other than up to the total number of postings within that topic.

How To Reply With A Citation to One Specific Topic or Reply

If you wish to cite (and include a copy of) a topic or reply in your reply, then there is a button to click that makes things quick and easy. A citation is something that you might want to do if the topic includes many postings, and your reply responds to, addresses, or focuses on one specific [non-contiguous] posting.

Start a citation by clicking on the "Quote" link in the lower left of the posting that is to be cited. See the below screenshot.

Note the "Quote" link that is highlighted in RED in the above screenshot. All you need to do to (a) create a reference [a citation] to that posting, (b) start a new reply in that topic, and (c) leave your cursor underneath the quoted text so that you can add your comments, is simply click on that "Quote" link.

Below is what a reply with an embedded citation looks like (see the highlighted portion).

The cited posting is included in your reply, in a manner similar to what is shown above. That citation is actually a hotlink to the referenced posting. If someone reading your reply were to click on the title (or the referencing arrow in the upper right), then that user will be taken directly to that specific posting. See the two areas pointed to by the red arrows in the below screenshot where you can click to go to the referenced posting.

One last comment is that if the citation contains information that you wish not to include in the citation, then you may (optionally) remove the undesired text, or perhaps you might highlight a really important section by use of any of the formatting tools in the toolbar. Your choice. Most people just leave the entire citation unchanged.

How To Post a Reply To A Topic

As mentioned above, a "topic" is the first posting in a sequence of related postings. A reply is the second and subsequent posting(s) associated with that topic. Posting a reply is easily done.

While viewing a topic, a member can respond to a posting using one of two methods. The first method is to click on the "Reply to this topic" button in the upper right of the thread. The other method is simply to scroll to the very bottom of the thread, and then click in the "Reply to this topic" box. See the below screenshot.

Regardless of the method used to initiate a reply, once initiated, the same text entry box and all of the same tools in the toolbar are made available to the member. The other directions about how to start (and edit, etc.) a topic also apply to replying to a topic, and thus are not being repeated here.

All replies are posted at the bottom of the topic thread in chronological order.

How To Post A Topic

What is a "topic"? Content on CL is generally contained in "topics", which are nothing more than a list of at least one posting with a title, and all posting(s) addressing one subject (as stated in the title). If a member wishes to respond to a topic, then they will submit a posting that is associated with the original posting. The first posting in this sequence is called the "Topic", and all subsequent posting(s) are called "Replies". Only registered CL members who are logged into CL may post any content.

Step 1: Select The Appropriate Category and The Appropriate Forum

First, you need to select which forum is most appropriate for your topic. Be advised that CL's forums are organized in five categories, and those five categories contain "forums" ("folders" or "buckets") that identify the subject for each forum, typically listed in alphabetical order. The five categories are shown in the below screenshot. To "open" up a category, click on the left-pointing triangle on the far right side of each category name (inside the appropriate red circle); the left-pointing triangles are toggles, which means that they "open" and "close" the categories.

Most postings, in general, should be posted in the first category, which is called "Topical Forums (Non-commercial Postings About Life in Chiriquí)". Open up that category, and then select the appropriate forum for your subject matter. For example, if you have a question about how to open a bank account; you should select the "Banking, Currency, Safety Deposit Boxes, etc." forum. To "select" that forum, just click on its title.

Step 2: Start Your New Topic

To start a new topic, click on the "Start new topic" icon in the upper right of the appropriate forum based on your subject matter. See the below screenshot.

Step 3: Populate (Fill In) the Required Fields for Your New Topic

     Step 3.1: The Title of Your Topic

The "Create New Topic" window then opens. See the below screenshot. Note that you have only a few fields to enter information. The first field is the Title of your topic, and that field must be filled in. Be as descriptive as possible.

     Step 3.2: Optionally Enter a "Tag" For Your Topic

You optionally may enter a "tag" or "tags" for your topic. Quoting Wikipedia: "In information systems, a tag is a keyword or term assigned to a piece of information (such as an Internet bookmark, digital image, database record, or computer file). This kind of metadata helps describe an item and allows it to be found again by browsing or searching. Tags are generally chosen informally and personally by the item's creator...". If you choose to enter a tag, then you terminate the tag by typing a comma (","). Tags on CL are converted to all lower case letters, and cannot exceed 60 characters. It is best to use short word(s) rather than long phrases for tags.

     Step 3.3: Enter the Main Content For Your Topic

The main work in posting a topic is the main content that goes into the big box. Here you can enter whatever you wish, and by using the tools in the toolbar at the top of that dialog you are able to format the content. Font, font size, bolding of text, underlining, italics, unordered (bulleted) lists, numbered lists, justification, etc., are just some of the options available for your content.

     Step 3.4: Upload and Embed Any Attachments

If you wish to include pictures (JPGs, etc.), PDFs, Word documents, etc., in your posting, then upload it (them) using the "choose files" link. Once the files are uploaded, then you insert/embed them into your posting, one at a time, by placing the cursor where you wish to place the item, then clicking on that small thumbnail image in the "Uploaded Images" area.

Step 4: Select Whether You Wish To Be Notified If Someone Replies to Your Topic

Then select whether you wish to be notified if someone replies to your topic. If you later change your mind, you may go back into your topic, and select the "Follow" option in the upper right corner of your topic. If you do "follow" a topic, then you will receive a "notification" (and optionally an email) whenever there is activity on your topic.

Step 5: If Necessary, Edit Your Topic

Be advised that once you have submitted (posted) your new topic that you have a 15 minute grace period in which to edit your posting. Suppose that you find a misspelled word after you submit your topic. Look for the "edit" link in the lower left of your topic. Clicking there will open up the same text entry/editing functionality. You will NOT be able to delete your posting, but you will be able to edit it. After the 15 minute grace period expires, then your posting is locked. If you need to edit (or delete?) your posting after expiration of the grace period, then send a PM (private message) to @Moderator_02 or an email to support@chiriqui.life.

Milano Italiano Restaurante

What To Know and Do Before Starting the Registration Process

There is no charge for requesting, having, or using an account on this website.

There are three documents that comprise the governance for this website. We strongly urge you to read those three documents because registration with or use of this website implies your understanding and concurrence with all provisions, conditions, and rules stated therein. If you are unable or unwilling to commit to complying with those three documents, then do not initiate the registration process. Those three documents are:

1. the Site Guidelines,
2. the Terms and Rules, and
3. the Privacy Policy.

What Information is Required In Order to Start the Registration Process?

If you wish to register for an account on CL, then you first need to have three pieces of information:

1. a valid email address (which will be validated by the server),
2. your “real name” (see the next section about names); all valid keyboard characters are acceptable, and
3. your desired “Display Name” (see the next section about names); your Display Name can be whatever you wish it to be, providing that your chosen Display Name has not already been used. Your Display Name might be full real name, a nickname, your first name, a phrase that “defines” you (e.g., “Photo Pro”, “Pet Lover”, “Fisherman Par Excellence”, “Poet”, “Boquete Retiree”, “Bird Aficionado”, etc.), etc. Display Names must have a minimum of three (3) characters and a maximum of sixty (60) characters; only lower and upper case alphanumeric characters, space characters, a hyphen (“-”), and underscore (“_”) characters are permitted (no special characters such as periods, dollar signs, tildes, ampersands, etc.).

How To Initiate the Registration Process

The registration procedure is initiated by clicking on the “Sign Up” button in the upper right area of the home page.

What Happens During the Registration Process?

During the registration process you will be asked for several pieces of information. As mentioned previously, you will need to provide a valid email address,  your preferred Display Name, and you must provide your real name. There are three other bits of information that will be requested, specifically:

1. the reason for wanting to register on CL (a short list of basic reasons are provided in a “radio button” style response),
2. the location of your residency (a short list of regions are provided in a “radio button” style response), and
3. the country that you claim as your “birth country” or “country of affiliation” (an optional, fill-in-the-blank type field).

Registration for a new login ID (called a “Display Name”) involves three steps.

1. Step one is where you provide the basic personal information discussed above.
2. Step two is the validation of your email address. All that means is that the server will send an email to the address that you specified, and you must respond to that email.
3. Step three is a manual review of your registration information by the CL management. Be advised that “bad guys” and computer robots (“bots”) now routinely attack websites, and so the owners of CL have elected to have a second (manual) review step. During step three, the management of this website will then review your information and check public databases against known spammers, and blocked or hostile IP addresses, etc. Once your registration request has been reviewed then you will receive another email confirming (or rejecting) your registration.

This three step process, specifically referring to step three, may take as much as 48 hours. Until your registration is completely finished, you will not be allowed to post any content, but you will be able to update your profile with additional information such as your avatar/gravatar, cover photo, personal interests, signature block, etc., as well as read most but not all of the content on the website.

More About Names -- the “Real Name” and the “Display Name”

Be advised that anonymous postings are not permitted on CL. If for some reason you prefer not to have your real name made public, then you should not initiate the registration process.

One data field in each member profile that must be completed during registration process is the member's real name. For a person, a real name consists minimally of a first name and a last name, and should be the name that your friends call you in everyday life; for a business, club, or group, the real name means the public name by which that entity is known, plus the real name of a management level person for that entity. Without a valid real first and last name, a registration request will be either delayed or rejected.

Your postings will be identified by your Display Name. The Display Name is the name that you provided when you created your account. You may log into this website using either your Display Name or the email address that you provided during the registration process.

Going further on the real name topic, your Display Name (login ID) is how you will be identified in your postings. However, other users can look at your profile and see who you really are. We are taking an approach very similar to Facebook; in Facebook you post under your real name (Facebook calls it an “authentic name”). For Chiriqui Life, you will post using your Display Name, but users will be able to see your real name in your profile.

If there is reason to question your asserted real name, Chiriqui.Life retains the right to request written documentation from you to validate your asserted real name. We trust that you can appreciate this approach to avoiding anonymity as a way to dramatically reduce abuse and negativity on a public information resource such as Chiriqui.Life. We start out assuming you to be honorable and will question your identity only when necessary because of some untoward action or posting on your part.

What Next?

As a closing thought, you might want to read: Welcome Aboard - What Chiriqui.Life Is and Can Do, How To Use It, and The Rules.

The CL Activity Stream -- What It Is and How to Use It

The owners/administrators of the Chiriqui.Life (CL) website strongly recommend and encourage users of CL to display the content on this website using what is called an "activity stream". The purpose of this topic is to provide a basic understanding of what an activity stream is, what it does, why it is important, and how to invoke it.

What Is An Activity Stream?

An activity stream is a display of CL's activity (not necessarily just the posted content). Activity includes the newly posted content, as well as user actions, such as member "reactions" to a posting, registrations, "following" a topic, "following" a particular member, etc. When invoked, an activity stream displays a listing of the activity/postings on CL in descending chronological order. If a user is interested in pursuing an item in more detail, then the user can display the item simply by clicking on its title.

Why Is An Activity Stream Important?

CL uses a community bulletin board content structure. That simply means that postings by members are placed in forums (information folders or buckets) based on the subject matter. An alternative content structure is what is called a blog, in which everything posted is in a single bucket (or channel). In a blog, it is easy to read what has recently been posted because it is at the top of the bucket (channel), and there is only one bucket. In a community bulletin board the new information can be in any of many different forums (buckets).

An advantage of bulletin boards is during historical research. For example, if you are interested in all content related to banking, then just go to the banking forum (bucket). A disadvantage of community bulletin boards is that most users want simply to (a) login, (b) read and possibly respond to the new content, and (c) log out. Absent some assisting tool, getting in and out of a bulletin board forum structure efficiently would be time consuming at best, probably frustrating, and possibly difficult to impossible.

The good news is that there is an assisting tool. It is called an activity stream. An activity stream is simply a synoptic (summary or abstract) display of the activity on the website, typically sorted in descending chronological order. Thus by invoking an activity stream, a member gets the best of both worlds (referring to community bulletin boards versus blogs).

You must be a registered user and logged into CL in order to use an activity stream other than "All Activity".

How Does A User Display An Activity Stream?

This is where we need to go in one of two directions. For a guest user (an unregistered user or someone who is not logged into CL), that user will have access only to an activity stream displaying "All Activity." The other direction applies to a registered member of CL, one who typically will see the default activity stream as "Unread Content" (assuming that the member has not reconfigured their default activity stream). The activity stream button (hotlink) is in the same general area on CL's homepage regardless of registration status, but the wording of the activity stream button/hotlink being displayed depends on the user's registration status (member versus guest).

Quote

How An Unregistered User (Guest) Displays An "All Activity" Activity Stream

On CL's homepage, simply click where shown in this screenshot:

 

--OR --

Quote

How A Registered CL Member Displays An "Unread Content" Activity Stream

Once logged into CL and on the homepage, simply click where shown in this screenshot:

 

Examples of both activity stream versions (All Activity and Unread Content) are shown below. Utilization procedures basically are the same regardless of what variety of activity stream is being displayed. The only difference is what activity (content) is being displayed. All you need do is to scroll down the displayed list, and if something is of interest then simply click on that title and you will be taken to that posting. When finished with that posting of interest, simply invoke the activity stream button/hotlink again to keep moving forward.

-- OR --

There is a LOT more to the functionality of activity streams on CL, but the above covers the basics. Two capabilities not described here are that registered members may reconfigure the standard activity streams that are provided by the system, and also that members can create as many activity stream profiles as they wish, but only one activity stream can be designated as the default. 

The importance of activity stream functionality on CL cannot be over-emphasized. An activity stream is how CL's management recommends that most members should approach CL.

For more detailed information about activity streams, see How Do I Configure The Activity Stream to See Only the New Content That I Want to See?.

Thank you for your posting, and Happy Holidays to you and your family.

27 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

..and the announcement was?

We are being led to believe there now may be some kind of an "alliance" or an "affiliation" (but not a "merger") between Keep It Simple Panama" (Irma Smith) and Boquete Medical and Associates (Dra. Digna Diaz and her associates at Clinica Alfa).

Doug and Jo are needing time to better understand how to document and represent this new "arrangement" between two of our healthcare resources in the Chiriqui highlands area.

47 minutes ago, Pederhaney said:

This is beginning to sound like a Boquete Medical Associates/Keep It Simple Panama referral list. 

Not sure how to interpret your reply. First blush is that you are saying that CL is giving preference to Boquete Medical Associates. If such preference is what you are trying to say, then you are incorrect.

CL is NOT a sponsored website; there is no favoritism given to anyone. If you check it out, the healthcare resource listing is as comprehensive and unbiased as possible, and there are no recommendations given therein as to which service provider to use. It is simply a resource listing for our community to use, or not use, as they desire.

Marcelyn's reply above comes from the fact that Doug and Jo (CL's healthcare information coordinators) have been doing an exhaustive review and update of the information contained in the healthcare resource listing. We (collectively referring to Doug, Jo, and the two CL owners/administrators) were just about to release an announcement about the first major revision of that resource listing. Only four people know of that pending announcement. But then with the announcement made by Keep It Simple and Boquete Medical Associates at yesterday's Tuesday Talks at the BCP Theater (a surprise to us), we are delaying our pending announcement to be sure that Doug and Jo have sufficient time to modify the resource listing based on the new information released to the public yesterday. That is not a preference for anyone, but simply prudent operating policy on our part. The healthcare resource listing should be as accurate and complete as possible, and absent any bias -- that is our goal.

Thank you. We do make an outreach to everyone announcing events via News Boquete, and others that we learn of. Not perfect but getting better with time.