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Comment Threads

• Charlie Stross commented on Where's Charlie?
  Greg, S&P just downgraded Egyptian bonds to BB. Autocrat ordering the army to shoot demonstrators on the streets? That's not a problem. Autocrat resulting in the national treasury losing its credit rating? Now that is going to cause ripples. After all, the Autocrat is only Autocrat as long as he can afford to pay the Army. Oh, and taking Egypt off the internet has (a) shut down the Cairo stock exchange, and (b) will shortly shut down the Egyptian banking system and the credit card settlement systems. Basically, in a half-assed attempt at censorship the regime has crippled the economy....
• Sean Eric Fagan commented on Where's Charlie?
  Essentially, he's decided that the short-term economic losses are less important to him than staying in power. I don't believe that's a particularly wise decision, and I really don't believe it can last for long. Which means that if the opposition can keep this state going for more than a day or two longer, things get... difficult for him. (The other problem is that even if he comes out of this still in power, he's demonstrated to everyone else he's willing to cause them pain to maintain that. That's not going to sit well with a lot of the purse-holders,...
• Greg. Tingey commented on Where's Charlie?
  Autocrat ordering Army to shoot demonstrators on strees ... and army says "shan't". Which has already happend. That, plus screwing with the transport and money supplies, translates as ... oops. I don't think Mubarak can last, unless he's prepared to use the "police" and security services against the Army as well as the crowds. Which is itself, not a stable or probably even tenable situation....
• scentofviolets commented on Where's Charlie?
  @29: The creative lighting came courtesy of a small LED torch that Charlie always seems to have at least one of about his person. I carry one most of the time myself, something with a strong bluey-white glare. It's my eyes. If I can't find something I've dropped or misplaced right off, I've found that a strong actinic light really helps. This seems to be age-related; there have been occasions when three of my peers have looked into the same drawer to find something only to come up empty, and which I've subsequently unearthed from the same location, thanks to...
• Charlie Stross commented on Where's Charlie?
  Not a problem. I reckon about 50-60% of my readers are female. It would therefore be very stupid of me to permit a misogynistic culture to flourish here in what is effectively my most public marketing vehicle. (Not to say morally inexcusable.) I've been very concerned about the huge gender imbalance among the commenters here for a long time now -- but it's hard to fix a cultural imbalance once it becomes established: short of scrapping my web presence and staring over(!) all I can do is try and maintain a safe space by bringing down the moderator's hammer when...