iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Elaine @elainefarrow.eurosky.social · 4h

Yes, I've heard that it's a problem for new students moving away from home who are not yet 18 – they can't legitimately order the starter bundle of pots and pans etc. if it includes cutlery 🍴🚫🙄

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Jennifer Liao @averagejenn.bsky.social · 16/10/2026

All you Libby users borrowing digital books and audiobooks through your library cards, you can set your preferences to human authors and artists ONLY. Click the middle button at the bottom, then "Content Controls" under Settings. You'll find "AI Contributions" there. Click in to it to make changes.

Libby menu interface showing Content Controls: AI Contributions with the Hunan authors only and Human narrators only options selected.

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Frog and Toad Bot @frogandtoadbot.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

“Tomorrow!” cried Toad. “I will do it all tomorrow!”

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The Church of England @churchofengland.org · 15/10/2026

On this final day of Baby Loss Awareness Week, join us in prayer. 🙏

God our Father,
you know our thoughts and share our sorrows.
Lead us out of desolation
to the caring comfort of your love.

When we forget what happiness is,
renew in us fresh springs of hope.

When we feel bereft of peace,
restore our hearts and calm our fears.

And when we come at last to our departing,
bring us home with you for ever,
the family of God complete;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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Kara N. Slade @karanslade.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

One-sentence summary of the chapter I'm presenting tomorrow: The thing about preaching is that you have to hear and receive the Good News first for yourself, and interpret Scripture in an active conversation with God, otherwise you're just writing a speech about the Bible.

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Melissa Terras @melissaterras.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

Our UKRI AI Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Responsible and Trustworthy in-the-world Natural Language Processing is open to applications for studentships starting in September 2027 for our Designing Responsible NLP integrated PhD training programme: www.responsiblenlp.org/2027-student...

Designing Responsible NLP is now open to applications for 2027 studentships

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Kate Watson @loreandordure.com · 12/10/2026

Beware of averages:

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Ada Palmer @adapalmer.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Was watching Buffy’s Anya backstory episode. Friend asked why I sighed. “She’s not of a sufficiently high social class to have domesticated rabbits that far north in Europe in that century, but the writers couldn’t know, the paper was only presented at a conference yesterday.” Accuracy is fleeting.

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Jay o’ Lantern 🎃 @templinjay.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

“Unfriend” was used in the 1600s in almost exactly the same way it’s used today, though it referred to irl relationships as most people then couldn’t afford internet access.

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UCU Edinburgh @ucuedinburgh.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Day 11 of the UCU workers' strike at the University of Edinburgh, over deteriorating conditions for staff and a resulting deterioration of educational conditions for students. All of this, while senior management awards itself with ever bigger pay increases. This is a scandal.

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Ian Coldwater 🧊🚫 @lookitup.baby · 11/10/2026

Hi, I’m a sighted alt text user! Here are some reasons I use it: - Slow Internet on an airplane - I’m over 40, I have no idea who that celebrity is - Bluesky broke images again - My vision sucks and that text is too small to read otherwise - Conveys further context and authorial intent

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European Movement in Scotland @euromovescotland.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

"Brexit has not gone well, people think it was a mistake" #brexit #rejoin

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Dr Eleanor Shaw @eleanorshaw.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Request: Do you know of any oral history projects with relevance to covid-19? Context: I'm doing a mapping exercise for my new job at the @britishlibrary.bsky.social on covid commemoration. I have a pretty solid list but I know there are more out there! Please share!

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Dr Dean Burnett @drdeanburnett.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

"By using AI, tasks like essays that used to take hours can be completed in minutes!" Sure, like how if I arrive at the gym and immediately go for a shower, my workout is done in record time. And if I throw my sandwiches straight in the bin, I can finish my lunch in under 10 seconds.

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Fergus Murray @oolong.co.uk · 06/10/2026

I have a listing on the NAS site now, as a science tutor working with Autistic teenagers. I'm still trying to figure out how much of this work I can do without using up all my energy, but right now it feels like I could probably take on one or two more people... www.autism.org.uk/autism-servi...

autism.org.uk

Fergus Murray, Tutor

Science tutoring and mentoring for neurodivergent teenagers

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Max Roser @maxroser.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The share of children who died before they were 5 years old in 1950 and 75 years later. Africa: 33% ↘ 6% Asia: 25% ↘ 2.5% Oceania: 9.3% ↘ 2% Latin America: 21% ↘ 1.5% Northern America: 3.8% ↘ 0.6% Europe: 10.5% ↘ 0.4% Globally: 23% ↘ 3.5%

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Meadowbank & Willowbrae Church @mandwchurch.org.uk · 06/10/2026

If your children are too young for our Mini Fun Club, or you'd rather stay and play with them, take a look at the Stay 'n' Play sessions our neighbours at @larchcofs.bsky.social are running. See bsky.app/profile/mand...

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Fiona Robertson @fionaswriting.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Thanks to everyone who watched my performance of The Secret Of The Poets at the Edinburgh Book Festival at the @iamloudpro.bsky.social Grand Slam! I'm still reading through comments ❤️ Here's the text version, which you can also find on my poetry site. I'll post a video soon about why I wrote this ❤️

The Secret of the poets by Fiona Robertson

I wrote my wedding vows with ChatGPT.
I’m no good at words. It does it better than me.

I typed out some facts and asked AI
to write my mother's eulogy.
I know, I know, her final goodbye
summed up by machine.
But I'm not a poet. Words don't come easy to me, you see.

My friend’s kid died and I didn’t know what to say
so I asked Claude and straight away
I had something to text him
and he thumbs-upped the message so I think it was OK.

I asked it to write a Valentine.
My best man speech.
My marriage counselling homework.
My suicide note.

I’m not a poet.
I don’t know what to say.

Let me tell you the secret of the poets:
Nobody ever knows what to say.
There are no words to mend a shattered heart.
No verse can make someone fall in love.
No poem can ease the ache of loss.
No-one can speak the depth of gratitude
or trust
or pain.

Nobody ever knows what to say.
Not even us.

Generative AI will give you an answer
but it will be a lie,
because all these words have ever been
are stand-ins for
‘I cared enough to try’.

https://linktr.ee/FionaRobertson

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Elaine @elainefarrow.eurosky.social · 04/10/2026

I'll be there later this week!

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Meadowbank & Willowbrae Church @mandwchurch.org.uk · 03/10/2026

Here's a list of items requested by the food bank. We have a collecting point all year round, not just at harvest.

For the Food Bank:
Men's deodorant, shaving foam, shaving gel, toilet rolls, washing up liquid, breakfast cereals, rice pudding, custard. Tins: steak pies, mince pies, stew, tuna, vegetarian meals, mixed beans, kidney beans, soup (not tomato).

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Elaine @elainefarrow.eurosky.social · 03/10/2026

We also used it that way in Scotland in the eighties 😅

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Elaine @elainefarrow.eurosky.social · 02/10/2026

Today is Bandcamp Friday! I want to recommend couple of albums I love: "Be Your Own Man" by Suzanne Butler is just sublime! The music takes me back to warm summer days in the heyday of Scottish pop. The lyrics are insightful and the whole album is a joy. suzannebutler.bandcamp.com/album/be-you...

suzannebutler.bandcamp.com

Be Your Own Man, by Suzanne Butler

11 track album

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Elaine @elainefarrow.eurosky.social · 02/10/2026

Today is Bandcamp Friday! I want to recommend couple of albums I love: "Living in the Echo" is the second album by Siskin Green, as heard at @greenbeltfestival.bsky.social They explore themes of faith and doubt, feminism and justice. Great stuff! siskingreen.bandcamp.com/album/living...

siskingreen.bandcamp.com

Living in the Echo, by Siskin Green

13 track album

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adoyleaustin.bsky.social @aliceaustin.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It certainly seems that dignity and respect are qualities that only apply in some directions (as seen in this email exchange shared in the student staff assembly)

An email exchange between a redacted student and the principal of the University of Edinburgh, Peter Mathieson.

The student email ends "thanks for taking the time to read this email, and I hope that soon you will begin to take the feedback of my peers and professors seriously. Regards, (redacted)."

Peter Mathieson's reply: "(Redacted), maybe you will learn to spell 'although'. Peter."

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Meadowbank & Willowbrae Church @mandwchurch.org.uk · 27/09/2026

😀 Children in P4–P7 are invited to join us for a Mini Fun Club! 🗓️ Monday 19 October 2026 from 8.50am-12.30pm 📍 Meadowbank & Willowbrae church hall at 83 London Road, EH7 5TT 💷 £2 per child (pay on the day) 🌐 Reserve your space at mandwchurch.org.uk/mini-fun-club

A colourful flyer with a graphic of children playing. There is a QR code and the web link that is in the post.

The text says "For children in P4 to P7. Mini Fun Club, Meadowbank & Willowbrae Church, 83 London Road, EH7 5TT. Activities: arts and crafts, Bible story, fun with food, snacks and drinks, load of fun! 8.50am to 12.30pm on Monday 19 October. £2 per child. Book your space."

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Edinburgh Images 📷 @colognuh.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Leith from Calton Hill, Edinburgh. The massive yellow structures are parts for a wind farm based at sea off the coast near Montrose.

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Robin Hayward 🌳 🏳️‍⚧️ @canopyrobin.com · 25/09/2026

We're publishing new guidance to support trans people who do fieldwork (any work outside the office)! Now we need your help to get them seen so please share! inclusivefieldwork.leeds.ac.uk/trans/

a cartoon of three fieldworkers. One has a small trans flag. The logos of the university of leeds, research england, and canopy robin are shown, as well as the URL: InclusiveFieldwork (dot) Leeds (dot) AC (dot) UK (slash) trans

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Elaine @elainefarrow.eurosky.social · 24/09/2026

My church is also on here (@mandwchurch.org.uk) and on Instagram, and we keep our website updated. Visitors often mention having found us online. Of those online channels, it feels* like FB still has the greatest reach. * purely vibes-based 😄

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Elaine @elainefarrow.eurosky.social · 24/09/2026

On balance I think it's better to leave comments open. I've only had to block a handful in all these years.

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Elaine @elainefarrow.eurosky.social · 24/09/2026

Notifications on Facebook have become increasingly hit and miss over the years as they push ads and sponsored posts over the ones we actually want to see! My guess is that because those comments came from strangers I'd never interacted with, they were considered low priority, hence no notification.

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Elaine @elainefarrow.eurosky.social · 24/09/2026

I've been an admin for several church and community FB pages over the years. Very occasionally we'll get nasty or defamatory comments. Despite getting notifications about other comments and reactions, I wasn't notified about those, so sometimes it took me a while to spot and delete them.

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Rev Darren Jalland @oldmacharrev.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Corporate jargon is an abomination, so I utterly adore this story #ideafridge

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Small Robots @smolrobots.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

I refer everyone once again to the Gell-Mann amnesia effect, whereby we spot every bit of nonsense in articles discussing something we know about, then turn the page and forget how shoddy that reporting was when we read an article about something else.

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Dr Ieithydd (Carys) @yrieithydd.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I've long said that while on average a man is faster, taller stronger than a woman, if you put a professional female athlete against a random guy, the woman'll win. The difference between the two is a lot less than the variation within both groups

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Kate Watson @loreandordure.com · 20/09/2026

Oh this is *awesome*!

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Jay Hulme @jayhulmepoet.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

"I bet you'd insist on a cake fork too!" Well, if there's not one I'll just use a normal fork because I'm not an idiot, but obviously if there's a cake fork AVAILABLE when I happen to be eating cake, I'm gonna want to use it. Why wouldn't I?? It's what it's FOR!

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Joseph Cox @josephcox.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Here is the setting you need to turn off if you don't want a human potentially reading through your ChatGPT conversations. I've seen some of the prompts; these ChatGPT users clearly have no idea a human is reading www.404media.co/inside-proje...

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Andrew Carter @cartoir.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

LNER going for an ad strategy that is localised enough to name the correct city but not localised enough to realise the phrasing is going to annoy the city in question.

LNER YouTube advert saying 'From Edinburgh to the capital just like that...'

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Hugin @hugintheraven.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

"We're wary of overprescribing ADHD meds because they're addictive." "Okay, but I've known addicts. You know what none of them have ever done? Forgotten to stop at the liquor store on their way home. Or woken up, spent 2 hours on their phone, eat breakfast, THEN go 'Shit I need a cig.' "

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JonS253 @jons253.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I've long maintained that God is autistic. Consider: no one is allowed to look upon His face; He doesn't talk to people any more, but when He did, people misunderstood Him; and everything in the universe, from the mightiest galaxy to the smallest quark, spins.

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András Forgács W @andraswf.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

God is on the spectrum

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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

the things that Brighton university management has decided it simply… no longer recognises? it also no longer recognises UCU or Unison? again: how is this legal!!!!

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Sam Cole @samleecole.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

There are so many stories lately about people who died by suicide after falling into emotionally manipulative patterns with chatbots. We rarely get to hear how the people who loved them are coping after an unimaginable, senseless loss. This is one of their stories: www.404media.co/austin-gordo...

404media.co

'Tell Everyone:' A Man Died by Suicide After Talking to ChatGPT. His Former Partner Wants to Warn the World About AI

After allegedly becoming emotionally reliant on ChatGPT, Austin died at 40 years old, leaving behind family and friends who loved him. Megan wants everyone to know what happened.

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Elaine @elainefarrow.eurosky.social · 09/09/2026

End of February/ 1st March, but deferring is common

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Marcus Houlden @mhoulden.uk · 08/09/2026

The RNLI saves lives at sea, regardless of who they are. Sometimes the crew doesn't come back. To me that sounds a lot more patriotic than getting ballied up and chanting inane slogans at people trying to go on holiday. rnli.org/about-us/our...

rnli.org

Why does the RNLI launch to small boats in the English Channel?

RNLI lifeboat crews have always launched to the rescue without judgement or preference. Men, women and children in danger in the Channel are no exception.

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beeps @beeps.gay · 08/09/2026

My accessible colour contrast checking tool now has a proper name: Battenburg. battenburg.app Cuz the icon I made for it looks like the cross section of a Battenburg cake and I like to give my projects fun names.

battenburg.app

Battenburg - WCAG contrast ratio color checker

A quick and simple tool for comparing an entire palette of colours for WCAG accessible contrast.

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Natalya D @natalyad.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

The decorative stuff is a good way for us to control the conversation. Much like how spectacle frames are a fashion statement rather than just assistive aid. Mannered people can say "Oh I like your Decoration" as a way of acknowledging your disability-aid without asking nosy questions.

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