iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Replies

Dan Cohen @dancohen.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Accounting is truly a mystical realm of dark magic and wonder. With one assumption my university can present the Board of Trustees with an $84.5 million surplus while simultaneously telling faculty, staff, and students that we barely eeked out a $2.3 million surplus so the austerity must continue.

A figure showing a 84.5 million surplus based on investment income.

A snippet of a university communique describing a $2.3 million surplus while admitting it is based on assumptions

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Wayne Fryback @waynefryback.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Accounting is not the dark mystical realm. We only do math problems and verify accuracy. The dark mystical realm of magic and wonder belongs to the people who take our information and use it to tell whatever story or fabricate whatever alternate reality they want with it. The blame is not ours.

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Cerrabus @cerrabus.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Torture the numbers enough, and they'll tell you whatever you want to hear.

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grouchosduck.bsky.social @grouchosduck.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

But that's not what these statements say. The second one is just operating income, while the first includes investment income. The reference to assumptions is to explain why they initially projected an operating deficit. Those assumptions have nothing to do with the final income statements.

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