iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Becca 🇵🇸 NYCC K34 @rfarrowster.bsky.social · 18h

bringing her back

The Legolas and gimli “never thought I’d die fighting side by side with an elf” scene from the two towers except the quote has been altered to read “never thought I’d die fighting side by side with Catholics/what about side by side with a Pope Against AI!/Aye, I could do that”

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Dr Hannah M. Rowland @hannahmrowland.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Hope your day was better than Darwin’s, on this day 165 years ago

I am very poorly today & very stupid & hate everybody &everything.

Charles Darwin
Letter to Charles Lyell
1st October 1861

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𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐝 💫 Game localizers @fromthevoid.net · 09/09/2026

Translating games has almost nothing in common with translating books. - Nothing is linear - You often get the texts in disarray - Different UIs, menus & dialog styles = different contexts - Sometimes you don't even know which character's line you're translating

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Do you have blood? Are you OK with occasionally having some of it outside of your body? Then you're in luck, looks like you can get a copy of Vampire Survivors + DLC for free if you donate blood and submit proof🩸 bloodmoon.poncle.net Really cool idea! 🧛

bloodmoon.poncle.net

Blood for the Bloodmoon

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

I'm thinking about getting a portfolio website (almost 6 years after I started freelancing full time, better late than never), mostly because I kinda want a blog (that presumably nobody would read), but I feel like it'd be a lot of effort to make it look the way I want it to look...

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Lucile Danilov @locdandloaded.net · 06/08/2026

You may not like it, but this is what peak localization looks like (Asterix: Mega Madness (PS1, 2001))

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vashito @vashperado.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

good morning

1954 photo of Godzilla holding an umbrella standing next to Emiko holding her arm

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Unseen Japan @unseenjapan.com · 04/08/2026

Higashino Keigo wrote using a technique Japanese calls "opening up" kanji: spelling certain words (e.g., ones that might use rare or non-standard kanji) in hiragana so a page reads faster and lighter. It's a big reason his novels are beloved by people learning to read Japanese.

unseen-japan.com

How Higashino Keigo Improved My Japanese

In the wake of the beloved author's death, our author shares how Higashino Keigo's accessible writing made his own Japanese better.

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Maytera Marble @mayteramarble.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Harrison Ford, the actor behind loveable scoundrels Han Solo and Indiana Jones, started his career as an on-set carpenter. That makes him a roguelike deckbuilder.

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maybe: annie rauwerda @annierau.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

starting a collection of quotes like this

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Me: well, the final revisions of the book translation are going surprisingly well. That one important pun I've left to deal with later:

static.klipy.com

Surprise Surprise Mother Fucker

ALT: Surprise Surprise Mother Fucker

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Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

“She’s just a translator” shows that you don’t understand what translation is. Some of this comes from the ‘automation’ of translation, through things like Google translate. It’s as though it’s just looking words up in a dictionary. No. It’s an art and a science at once. To get meaning and feeling.

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Lucile Danilov @locdandloaded.net · 28/07/2026

I recently completed a LQA project that had me bawling like a baby (for like, good, narrative-related reasons), and it reminded me just how much I love this job. So, so incredibly lucky to still be able to do this, despite the depressing state of the industry. I'll never take it for granted.

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Szynka @szynkawieprzowa.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

📌 (summer '26 intro update) Cześć! I'm Anna, a Polish hobbyist multidisciplinary artist experimenting with various styles, digital and traditional. I usually draw animals (esp. birds) and other stuff inspired by nature. I often weave bits of Polish culture into the art as well. Dzięki za uwagę :)

A symmetrical digital drawing of two storks: black stork (left) and white stork (right). They're in a sitting position, facing each other, and touching the tips of each other's beaks and talons. There's a motif of leaves above their beaks between each other. A joint symbol of both sun and the moon is placed between their talons with a small star underneath. The storks are depicted in a stylized wycinanka (Polish papercutting)-based style. The background is a red sky with white and black clouds, much like the storks themselves.

A symmetrical digital drawing in the style of Polish wycinanka (traditional papercutting) depicting two birds facing each other, surrounded by flowers and leaves. The negative space ("cuts") inside the birds and flowers are colored like various pride flags. The background is composed of a simplified orange nasturtia blossom with green foliage behind it.

A digital drawing of an anthropomorphic female common kestrel in a jumping pose, wearing a Kraków suit (strój krakowski), what is known as the men's version of it. The background is half red and half white and red embroidery-like flowers are to the left of the kestrel, going from top to bottom.

A stylized circular design in Polish folk art wycinanka style (inspired by gwiozda), depicting a colorful European starling (dorsal view), flying with a cherry in its beak. Flower stalks sprout out of its shoulders and cherry juice splashes out of the cherry and out of the starling's wings. The starling is surrounded by a simplified design of a blossoming flower bud.

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Jenn Odd @jentranslations.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Game developers, how do you know if you have a good localization company? Here are some green flags to keep in mind when selecting someone~! j-entranslations.com/green-flags-...

j-entranslations.com

Green Flags When Picking Localization Company - J-En Translations

It can be hard to pick a localization company for your game, so here are some green flags to keep an eye out for when selecting a vendor.

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Momo @heyheymomo.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Rise and grind

4 panel momo comic:

Panel 1: momo in bed. We see the sun has risen through the bedroom window. Text reads “I wake up”

Panel 2: momo behind his table. There’s a coffee pot and a pink cup of coffee on it. Text reads “pour myself a little coffee”

Panel 3: he’s in a chair behind the table with an opened laptop and a glass of water. It says “check my little emails”

Panel 4: we see he left his house. Door still a little bit open. Text: “ignore them a little bit” as momo gleefully goes to play outside rather than answering his work duties

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

I wish I could curse whoever it was that made Yahoo Chiebukuro not available in Europe. Them and ten generations of their descendants. It was such an useful resource for checking Japanese slang and similar things...

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

My desire to have a sensible sleep schedule clashes with the fact that I usually work best in the middle of the night.

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

...co robię? Czy to jest jakiś mem, na który jestem za stara, czy Youtube się przegrzało od tych temperatur?

Reklama z Youtube: "Z Premium wyelywasz na każdym polu
Polecane przez YouTube
Oglądaj skróty ulubionych rozelywek bez reklam dzięki 2 miesiącom Premium"... cokolwiek to znaczy.

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Chris Franklin @errant-signal.com · 15/06/2026

One of my favorite kind of Next Fest games are the ones that clearly are using AI, have no AI disclosures, but think it's at all reasonable to assume they have paid to translate their game into every language under the sun.

A list of languages supported by Gatekeeper Simulator: Inner Circle, a title that has a *lot* of text all rendered on its in-game iPad. The image only contains about half the possible languages, starting with "Albanian" and through through to "Maori." Among the languages this game supports are Igbo, Hindi, Hebrew, Dari, Bosnian, and Malay. It's a very worldly video game.

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Bríd 🇮🇪🇵🇸🇺🇦 @brid.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Obsessed with this 1735 illustration of hammerhead sharks from Japan

As per Wikipedia: Hammerhead shark illustration from 1735, Japan, from the Illustrated Guide to the Products of Oki Province

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

I'll be a guest at my hometown library's book club, because they've been reading a book I translated and I kind of wonder what I should talk about... Is there anything non-translators find interesting or want to know about translation? #booksky

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Keru Wolf 🌱 @bigbadwolframio.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

As a translator, having results automatically translated regardless of my settings is very misleading. I want to know how native speakers are actually writing in their language. Does anybody know a way to make every search contain -"?tl="?

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Every year it gets harder and harder for me to answer when students (or other people) ask how to become a game translator. I feel like the industry has really changed since I was getting started (not that long ago! ...I think). Or maybe I'm just getting old?

static.klipy.com

ALT:

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Lucile Danilov @locdandloaded.net · 01/06/2026

Definitely one of the hardest challenges our team's ever had to tackle, but also one that led to the funniest Discord convos

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

Let me tell you, the number of exclamation marks that I put in my reply after the lovely folks at LocQuest told me I'm going to work on this game was wildly unprofessional. I'm so pumped Paralives is finally here. Have fun! ❤️

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Cozy Words - Localization Agency @cozywordsloc.com · 28/05/2026

1/2 Let's catch up on what we've been working on lately! Once again, @kenney.nl and @wholesomegames.com trusted us with the localization of Make Room into Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, and European Spanish! Long live cozy games!💜 (Linguists' credits below (2/2)⬇️)

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Dr Malice @atarbuck.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

The best advice I ever got when I started freelancing was, if you have to turn down work, always suggest someone else who could do it. I have been so lucky to benefit from that over the years.

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Sebastian Nehrdich @snehrdich.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

This deserves attention! A whole book written by a Japanese Studies expert on a topic of Korean history relies heavily on AI tools for accessing the sources and acknowledges it clearly in the preface. Is this the kind of future we want for humanities?

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Wiem, że mam kilku mutualsów, którzy też tłumaczą na polski, więc podrzucam 😊

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

The mood swings that come with translating a book are not for the weak. One minute I feel like I'm doing amazing work, a while later I think that I can't speak any language and I should not be allowed to work with words. Repeat ad infinitum (or until the book is over).

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Angri Bundel @anibundel.com · 11/05/2026

We lost Douglas Adams 25 years ago today. This has made a lot of people very sad and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

For the love of all that's holy, Google, I was literally just trying to google some song lyrics. I am glad you're so supportive of my choices, though.

Google AI trying to be helpful: "Understood. Whether you're referring to a personal choice, a health-related decision, or even echoing lyrics like NewJeans' "Hurt", it's important to know that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a highly personal path with many valid reasons to opt out"

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

One of the best things about working in game loc is getting to talk to other translators on the same project about our ideas, doubts and choices. It's so sad that some agencies try to prevent this by not letting translators interact with each other. Brainstorming is essential for creative work!

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Krystian Łukasik @krystianlukasik.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

People once believed: – the telegraph would end war and prejudice, – moving pictures would make books obsolete, – the automobile would make people “too prosperous to fight”. I’ve built a digital archive of these kinds of promises. Techno-Optimism Archive

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Matthias Hirsh @mattievvv.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Hey all. I am still on the hunt for freelance work in Japanese to English translation, translation review, English editing and proofreading, or almost any localization-parallel role that can be done remote from Germany. I specialize in creative writing localization. Please share with your circle!

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Amelia @ameliamolino.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Se alguém estiver passeando pela Gamescom Latam hoje, recomendo dar um pulinho na A1.1 pra jogar a demo de Rain98, traduzido por mim ❤️❤️❤️

Foto da área A1.1 da Gamescom Latam, exibindo posters do jogo Rain98 e várias pessoas sentadas à frente de computadores jogando a demo

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

A publishing house specializing in Japanese murder mysteries! (honestly, it's not even about the money as much as it is about time and energy... maybe one day?)

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𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐝 💫 Game localizers @fromthevoid.net · 27/04/2026

We are 6 years old already. Happy birthday to us 💫 and cheers to all our talented linguists. You know who you are - and people know too, because your names are 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 in the credits. You are the Void 🤍 #TranslatorsintheCredits

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Reading terrible job offer e-mails that end up in my spam folder is my passion.

A job offer email with some audacious rates. "We are seeking experienced interpreters for a remote role
supporting calls during U.S. business hours.

* Polish: 0.2 - 0.3 USD/min
* Cambodian: 0.2 - 0.4 USD/min
* Russian: 0.2 - 0.3 USD/min
* Ukrainian: 0.2 - 0.3 USD/min
* Cantonese: 0.2 - 0.25 USD/min
* Mandarin: 0.2 - 0.25 USD/min
* Korean: 0.2 - 0.3 USD/min
* Spanish: 5 USD/hour"

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ChrisP @wordsmithgetxo.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

My favourite is “your rate is per word: does that mean you charge the same for short words as for long ones?”

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Szynka @szynkawieprzowa.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Another #PortfolioDay ! Cześć! I'm Anna, a Polish hobbyist artist experimenting with different styles, digitally and traditionally. I usually draw animals (esp. birds!) and other things inspired by nature. I usually weave bits of Polish folklore and culture into the art as well. Dzięki za uwagę :)

A digital drawing of a kestrel in flight. Its beak is open and its neck, tail and primaries on its left wing (and one secondary) are colorful with ripples resembling shapes found in Polish paper cutting. Its eye is red and white. The drawing is mainly in darker tones.

A symmetrical drawing of two starlings facing each other, separated by a flower. The piece is done in traditional Polish style inspired by wycinanki. Ink pens and a marker are displayed to the right of the sheet.

A stylized digital drawing (based on art deco and streamline moderne) depicting a cormorant in diving position intertwined with a large pike on a dark background resembling deep water with small silhouettes of fish passing below.

An intricate symmetrical pattern in Polish folk art style (wycinanka) portraying two songbirds with their wings open, heads up, open beaks, surrounded by leaves and flowers. The pattern is white against a dark background. Behind the pattern, above the birds' heads, there's a magenta and green ribbon symbolizing aurora borealis. Additionally, small sparkling stars surround the piece.

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Adam 🪿 @vexnir.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Hi #portfolioday ☀️ I’m a Polish illustrator & full-time 2D Game Artist. I love to create whimsical & cozy art in various media, usually celebrating nature or little precious moments! I want to bring feelings of comfort to everyone and brighten their day with my work! ✸ Store: vexnir-shop.com ✸

Traditional mixed media painting showing a forest scene. There's a stream in the middle, with a fallen tree trunk acting as a bridge over it, with Pikachu and Eevee running through it, and Charmander clinging to the trunk behind them. In front of them, Bulbasaur stands on a rock in the stream, with Squirtle splashing around in the water, the two enjoying themselves. Various bug Pokemon can be seen in the distance: Weedle, Kakuna and Caterpie on trees, and two Butterfree flying around.

Acrylic marker illustration of a tiny white bunny sitting on top of a huge red tulip, surrounded by more tulips. There’s a blue sky with a fluffy cloud behind them.

Traditional fan art in watercolor and colored pencil. It’s an illustration showing the Pokémon Ampharos, with a little Togepi in its arms, standing among bushes full of yellow flowers. A small house, trees and electrical poles can be seen in the background, with Mt. Fuji faintly hovering over them in the distance.

Traditional drawing in mixed media of a white cat with a yellow straw hat sitting inside a blue cardboard box. It’s surrounded with other boxes full of oranges.

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

I'm not having a great time recently, but I did get to use one of my favorite words in a translation today and it makes me feel a bit better.

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Ah yes, translators, people who are just so expensive that firing one will apparently improve the financial situation of a studio that sold over 5 million copies of their game 💀 The greed of CEOs knows no bounds.

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Alicja Kaniecka @alkapibara.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

The vacation book haul is still a work in progress but I'm already quite happy with it! (if anybody has any recommendations, I'd love to hear them 👀)

12 books in the paperback format, mostly murder mysteries

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Thomas Faust @someindie.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

All localized text is reviewed by ... the developer? Well I guess that's fine, then. (It's not.)

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𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐝 💫 Game localizers @fromthevoid.net · 21/03/2026

This #SaturdayVoidRec💫 is nothing less than @alkapibara.bsky.social's 2025 GOTY 🤍 The Seance of Blake Manor is a spooky mystery game set in late 19th century Ireland, featuring fascinating Irish folklore & an investigation you won't forget anytime soon... A gem by a tiny team like we love them!

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