iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

My second fringe show viewing was the incomparable @emersonbrophy.bsky.social doing another amazing hour-and-bit of singing and jokes and even choreography. The preview was awesome, I would definitely recommend it if you've ever enjoyed any of his videos online. www.lamama.com.au/whats-on/mel...

lamama.com.au

Parasocial

(adjective) a one-sided sense of intimacy felt by a fan towards a famous person or character

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 05/10/2026

Got to go to a really cool gamedev event hosted by Apple tonight, and I even got a pin!

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Clifton B @cliftonb.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I'm already upset that everyone who uses FB just lets the app take all their saved contacts, meaning that even though I avoid everything they make, they still have a whole file on me. Now it's gonna get even worse, and there's nothing I can do about it.

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Tyler King @tyleraking.com · 29/09/2026

A key component of the Cambridge Analytica outrage was your friends subjecting you to data theft without your consent or knowledge. Facebook is running the same playbook on your text messages. Even if you’re not on Meta properties, they’re ingesting your interactions.

Aten installed Muse on both his iPhone and a Mac mini that he uses to test out various Al agents and tech. It took Meta a single day to begin "helpfully" pitching article ideas based on texts he'd sent to a podcast co-host.
When he asked Muse how it got the information, it said that it read banners from incoming texts. But that's not true, either.
After doing a little digging, Aten says Muse synced 187,000 lines from his Messages database, despite Full Disk Access being Off.

Unless Aten is the most popular person on the face of the planet, I sincerely doubt he'd gotten 187,000 lines of text in roughly 24 hours. What happened is that, without permission, Muse went into the app and downloaded the information.
He had not given Muse permission to access Messages, and full disk access was not enabled. It just went ahead and uploaded those texts anyway.
Muse can take "unexpected actions" indeed.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 02/10/2026

Ironic of Sydney Mardi Gras to send out a questionnaire asking for feedback when they’re just gonna ignore everything critical of their shitty leadership.

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Strange Artifice @strangeartifice.com · 01/10/2026

Inaugural real first post — Alcyone: The Last City is 20% off on all platforms as part of Steam's Autumn Sale later today (even though it's spring here in the southern hemisphere). This is the CHEAPEST Alcyone has been since its release! Save on Steam, itch, and iOS! strangeartifice.com/alcyone/

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 29/09/2026

Some important announcements! Logbook: Joshua — "Some changes 'round 'ere" joshuameadows.com/logbook/some...

joshuameadows.com

Some changes 'round 'ere

Deep-diving into nerdtalk about websites, brand consolidation, and future plans.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 28/09/2026

My partners and I went out of town for the long weekend just-past, we stayed in a cabin about two hours outside of Melbourne. It was very pretty, here is photographic evidence that I do, occasionally, touch grass.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 26/09/2026

This is some deep nerd shit, I know, but over the past week I finally got around to consolidating all of my projects under the branding of the company I created back in May (and I guess here’s the proper announcement about that?) Alcyone and Iyetra are linked from here now. strangeartifice.com

strangeartifice.com

Strange Artifice

Strange Artifice is the Naarm/Melbourne studio of writer, developer, and musician Joshua Meadows.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 25/09/2026

Because I’ve now been a citizen for a decade that reminded me I need to get my passport renewed as it’s my only form of ID (I don’t drive). What a surprise, the cost is the same whether you’re getting a new one or not — four hundred and twenty two fucking dollars. Aussie aussie aussie oi oi oi!

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 23/09/2026

Second year in a row I can’t get Alcyone into any MIGW things because I either only heard about it when it was too late as spaces were advertised in limited ways, or — worse — independently curated with no public submissions. When you only give opportunities to your friends it’s kinda lame, folks.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 22/09/2026

Apropos of nada, today’s the 10th anniversary of me becoming an Australian citizen (tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of moving to Melbourne, specifically). It’s been an interesting decade, with several attempts to move back to NYC (nearly successfully!) but I’m still here and usually happy for that.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 17/09/2026

I’m genuinely incensed by Labor’s capitulation to One Nation’s bigotry in this "follow the fucking racists" downslide. I’m not a fucking economist, can one explain to me how backpackers forced into indentured servitude were responsible for the rental crisis of the last decade?

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 16/09/2026

For folks in the US, I have seen nothing that better explains this weird bit of Australian culture — the Australian-dubbed foreign ad. I have a vague recollection that it's a broadcast requirement to have X% of Australian-produced content aired and this is a workaround? youtu.be/r0kljzwjVS4?...

youtu.be

When American Ads get dubbed in Australian

YouTube video by Aunty Donna

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 15/09/2026

I have been a user of 1Password for at least sixteen years (2010 is the earliest payment receipt that turned up in my email search); I cancelled my subscription last week over the Omarchy nonsense and migrated to the Apple Passwords built-in app. Surprisingly painless and 150% less racist!

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 14/09/2026

Hey this story is absolutely crazy? And if it involved an Islamic sect trailing and harassing government officials instead of a Christian cult the right-wing media of this country would be absolutely apoplectic about it and demanding answers. archive.li/c9ZU2

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 10/09/2026

Valve seem to have clicked on age verification requirements in Australia but because I do not have a credit card — specifically (debit doesn’t count) — I’m unable to do so. My account is nearly drinking age in the US. And I’m also a dev selling on Steam, so they already have my legal info anyway.

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Douglas Wilson @doougle.net · 09/09/2026

If you're on 1Password, it's probably time to find a new password manager. bsky.app/profile/thev... Some useful advice here about how to go about switching password managers: rmondello.com/2026/09/07/s...

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DEI Speedwagon @myrrlyn.net · 07/09/2026

one data point i will graciously concede to the “llms can think” cranks is that i absolutely do not believe a stochastic parrot trained on internet conversation would ever decide to assemble the sentence “you’re right i misspoke”. so that came from someplace else

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 07/09/2026

Meeting with a new accountant. Accountant: "So what’s your long-term economic strategy?" Me: "Win the lottery or one of my partners marries someone rich." Accountant: "Well we’d all like to win the lott — wait, what?"

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 29/08/2026

Milo Yiannopoulos being arrested and deported by ICE cos Laura Loomer tattled is deeply funny and fitting, but also, I hope, a message to all of these queer bootlickers that no matter what lengths you go to for the fascists, it will never, ever protect you from becoming a target, too. Grow a spine.

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Joe Wintergreen @joewintergreen.com · 27/08/2026

man every day some pundit's on here with the latest random thing they think is the problem in the games industry, we're not original enough, not well-read enough, chasing the wrong trends, whatever. pisses me off. it's that there is no fucking money. whatever shit you think you are seeing is THAT

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 23/08/2026

[Ellis called me on a Tuesday afternoon. This was unusual — inasmuch as most things around Ellis are already unusual — because in twenty-two years he had never once called me at an hour when a person might reasonably be expected to answer.] Vignette: "Please" logbook.joshuameadows.com/please/

logbook.joshuameadows.com

"Please"

Vignette: "Please," written August 5, 2026.

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Raze and Rebuild Studio @razeandrebuild.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Our hope is we can make something great, in a way that isn't built on the same exploitation of labour that's tearing apart the modern game development scene.

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Raze and Rebuild Studio @razeandrebuild.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Our mission is to show that indie development can happen with cooperation; and not as pawns of corporate masters. The video game industry isn't always fair to those putting in the work to create the art we all love.

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Raze and Rebuild Studio @razeandrebuild.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Raze and Rebuild Studio is a collaborative effort to rebuild from the ashes of the industry. We’re a small but mighty group of developers, creatives and mentors in the industry, taking our initial steps into creating our first game as a group.

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Raze and Rebuild Studio @razeandrebuild.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

That's what inspired us to form Raze and Rebuild, a studio founded by a talented team of creatives, torn down by the financial realities of big budget game development, and rebuilding to work on our first project.

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Raze and Rebuild Studio @razeandrebuild.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

From mass layoffs to studio closures, a lot of people with the skills to make video games are stuck in between projects.

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Raze and Rebuild Studio @razeandrebuild.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Raze and Rebuild Studio - A game dev team rising from the ashes. It's should be no surprise that, over the last few years, finding or keeping a stable job in the video game industry hasn't been easy.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 14/08/2026

This sucks. Oxenfree is still one of my favourite narrative games ever, and yet again bigger companies gobble up smaller ones and spit out the bones when they’re finished. www.rockpapershotgun.com/five-years-a...

rockpapershotgun.com

Five years after acquiring Oxenfree developer Night School Studio, Netflix are shutting them down

Another Netflix-owned studio, Moonloot, are also being shut down.

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Alcyone: The Last City @alcyonegame.com · 04/08/2026

Alcyone: The Last City is 10% off on ALL platforms for the Steam Cyberpunk Fest — Aug 3 to Aug 10 from 10 AM PT. Find out where to grab a copy here: alcyonegame.com

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Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · 02/08/2026

By the time all is said and done, the majority of cool projects never go anywhere - safe bets often land nowhere, but the few times something courageous and weird makes it through funding (and we can agree or disagree on the merits, etc. etc.) it can become the biggest thing that launches.

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Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · 02/08/2026

Just to be clear on this article, the position I took isn't "developers need to be more brave" but "funding needs to be more brave". Developers make all the cool stuff, just because they want to - the funding side hits it with market research and fear and growth targets and shareholders.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 30/07/2026

Somehow at nearly 42 years old, this is the first time I've made penne alla vodka (technically "rigatoni alla vodka alla salsiccia" I suppose) and mah god was it lovely — albeit one of the most expensive pasta dishes I've ever made given the alcohol excise tax in Australia. 😑

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 30/07/2026

Apparently the compulsory-for-everyone-in-Australia census is happening in 2 weeks which I found out via a meme and not, you know, any sort of gov correspondence. Apparently you were supposed to register during a 4-week period that ended 2 weeks ago to do it online early, which was also news to me.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 22/07/2026

So Substack objects to deplatforming white supremacists from its platform, but is gonna integrate a false-positive-prone "AI detector" that people can use to submit an author’s content without their consent to further encourage witch hunts cos someone uses an em dash? Do I have that right?

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Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · 20/07/2026

Months of work, a lifetime of learning, but the Levelling The Playing Field 101 Courses program launches right now. Eight €40 courses launching 10 days apart, I aim to make the critical less-spoken parts of indie gamedev accessible away from expensive visa-locked hotel bars. courses.ramiismail.com

courses.ramiismail.com

Levelling the Playing Field - Courses by Rami Ismail

Practical, focused courses for indie game developers. Business, marketing, budgeting, production, pitching and more - by Rami Ismail.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 19/07/2026

Hey Geelong one quick question what the fuck

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 15/07/2026

Hey fellas, is it woke to wash lettuce?

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Josh Taylor @joshtaylor.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

I still get messages from my Christian grandparents telling me they hope I find Jesus and other subtle messages that they don't agree with me being gay. The reason subversion of that particular religion happens more here is we have been oppressed by it. www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...

theguardian.com

LGBTQI+ artists have been targeted for ‘insulting Christianity’. To queer people, this feels particularly cruel | James Thorpe

A theatre pop-up in a former Sydney church has been accused of ‘offensive trade’. But if causing offence can lead to eviction, every artist is vulnerable

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 12/07/2026

Lindsey Graham isn't even worth the piss I'd use on his grave, good riddance to that evil human garbage. 🥳

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 05/07/2026

On the Mardi Gras EGM this weekend.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 30/06/2026

"When you throw the more vulnerable under the bus, you don't get to insist you're still on the same side. And when you're not on the same side, you don't get to dictate the terms on which the people actually under threat get to be angry and fight back." logbook.joshuameadows.com/care-about-p...

logbook.joshuameadows.com

Care about people other than yourselves, I beg this of you

When you throw the more vulnerable under the bus, you don't get to insist you're still on the same side. And when you're not on the same side, you don't get to dictate the terms on which the people ac...

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Alcyone: The Last City @alcyonegame.com · 27/06/2026

Alcyone: The Last City is 10% off on all platforms through July 10th! If you haven't picked the game up, now is a great time — especially with the accessibility update on mobile! Check out links to buy here: alcyonegame.com

alcyonegame.com

ALCYONE: THE LAST CITY

Sci-fi interactive novel set at the end of the universe.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 24/06/2026

"They sat me in this chair when I was nine and played me the recording, and I have come back to the same chair to make the next one. That is the whole of my remaining usefulness." "Verbatim" — written 25/06/2026. logbook.joshuameadows.com/verbatim/

logbook.joshuameadows.com

"Verbatim"

Vignette: “Verbatim,” originally written June 25, 2026.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 18/06/2026

Man alive, I did Mardi Gras for many years, organised many floats, worked with them for the first fucking GX Australia in a relationship that was more of a headache than a help, and these days my opinion is if you're a queer person still involved I have the same stare as I do towards Harry Potter.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 12/06/2026

Some bogan plopped down next to us on a mostly empty train, after ours was cancelled, after we'd been sitting for 20 minutes, and started blaring Sky News whining about "MACHETE WIELDING IMMIGRANTS ARE OVERRUNNING BRIGHTON" so I WANT you to know when I do a violence tonight, it's very premeditated.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 12/06/2026

Watching Waitress on stage for the first time. I had misgivings about whether or not Natalie Bassingthwaighte had Sara Bareilles' vocal range when I really should have been made aware that I'd be subjected to three hours of Australians doing southern accents.

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Joshua Meadows @joshuameadows.com · 04/06/2026

Chinese beef and asparagus with onion and capsicum.

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