The most that they could do was to provide a stable environment for growth, by controlling the rate of inflation.

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Vinnicombe adds that she has found anecdotal evidence that a number of senior women in the British banking sector have chosen to leave their jobs, rather than work in a "high pressure, highly controlling" work environment brought about by the economic crisis.

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Since launching in 1999, Linden Labs' experiment has grown into a bona fide mini-economy, with 8.3 million users controlling "avatars" that live, socialize and do business within Second Life's virtual environment.

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