iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Jenny @nerdyelk.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Can we stop focusing on the booze for this alleged trade deal and focus on the potential loss of Canadians' digital sovereignty???

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DCapTO @dcapto.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

I just found out Ontario will only cover Pap tests every 5 years instead of 2 years. But maybe soon we won’t need to do them at all! 👏👏👏 #ONpoli Reposting with alt text: Portrait of a woman wearing a white lab coat and smiling, presumably Mexican researcher Eva Ramón Gallegos. #HPV

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Omg me too bsky.app/profile/mvik...

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e.w. niedermeyer @niedermeyer.online · 21/08/2026

Threatening people with inevitability doesn't work anymore. Overemphasizing the benefits and minimizing the risks doesn't work anymore. Dismissing peoples concerns because they aren't deeply rooted in the technical details doesn't work anymore. The days of steamrolling hesitancy are gone.

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Post a perfect album from the 2000s (2000-2009)

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

what if you closed the app and went to your nearest park?

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jack @j4ck.xyz · 21/08/2026

this is so relatable, Claude

“Thought process is unavailable” error on Claude iOS app

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

The absolute irony of this being everyone in the discourse The only antidote is earnestly building bridges

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

This isn’t event about spreadsheet people discourse but it’s also not not about it

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P(aul) Frazee @pfrazee.com · 20/08/2026

Just noticed myself doing agent<->agent a lot more, which in Q1 I wasn't sure was going to be useful. Seems like it is? Small post

pfrazee.leaflet.pub

My-agent ↔️ your-agent may actually be useful

Not in a "get hyped" kind of way. More like: oh, yep, I am doing that.

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Anil Dash @anildash.com · 20/08/2026

And all of the options in that ecosystem have to be radically different than what people think of as being intrinsic to "AI" today. It is possible to build systems that use data consensually. It is possible to build systems entirely on renewable power. It is possible to build actually open systems…

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Noah Berlatsky @nberlat.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

fwiw, I have a friend who's a mathematician who has been following AI use in the field and says that it does seem to be useful in some pretty limited and specific cases in finding certain kinds of solutions. So, not transformative, but a helpful tool sometimes. 1

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Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 20/08/2026

Baffled that none of the spreadsheet people discourse has mentioned this incredible piece of news: windowsreport.com/microsoft-is...

Microsoft Is Retiring Excel’s COPILOT() Function After Just One Year
Milan Stanojevic
Milan Stanojevic Shield
Windows Toubleshooting Expert
News
Reading time icon2 min. read
Calendar icon Published on August 15, 2026

excel copilot function retire
Image credit: Microsoft
Microsoft is retiring the COPILOT() function in Excel, ending roughly a year of testing. According to Message Center MC1454373, the function will become unavailable after September 14, 2026.

COPILOT() allowed users to describe tasks in natural language and receive AI-generated results directly inside spreadsheet cells. Microsoft offered the experimental function to Frontier and Insider customers.

COPILOT() handled text and web-based tasks
The function worked particularly well for tasks involving text summarization, classification, content generation, and web-based information lookup.

Users could enter natural-language instructions directly as part of a spreadsheet formula instead of opening a separate Copilot interface.

However, Microsoft did not recommend COPILOT() for numerical calculations. The company also advised against using it to retrieve information already stored inside a workbook or for content subject to legal and compliance requirements.

The feature required an active internet connection and a Microsoft 365 Premium subscription.

Microsoft says the formula is redundant
Microsoft is removing COPILOT() because Excel already provides other ways to access the same AI capabilities.

Users can continue working with Copilot through the Copilot side pane and the Dynamic Action Button (DAB). Microsoft is not removing the underlying AI features from Excel, only the dedicated spreadsheet function.

The retirement comes as Microsoft continues expanding Copilot elsewhere in Excel. The company is adding multi-agent web search to Copilot in Excel, giving the assistant more advanced capabilities for finding information online.

Microsoft is also unifying Copilot and Microsoft 365 Copilot into a si…

Microsoft is retiring the COPILOT() function in Excel, ending roughly a year of testing. According to Message Center MC1454373, the function will become unavailable after September 14, 2026.

COPILOT() allowed users to describe tasks in natural language and receive AI-generated results directly inside spreadsheet cells. Microsoft offered the experimental function to Frontier and Insider customers.

COPILOT() handled text and web-based tasks
The function worked particularly well for tasks involving text summarization, classification, content generation, and web-based information lookup.

Users could enter natural-language instructions directly as part of a spreadsheet formula instead of opening a separate Copilot interface.

However, Microsoft did not recommend COPILOT() for numerical calculations. The company also advised against using it to retrieve information already stored inside a workbook or for content subject to legal and compliance requirements.

The feature required an active internet connection and a Microsoft 365 Premium subscription.

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

The reality is that tech workers broadly have been disempowered as a labor class with successive waves of layoffs. They’re very much becoming a part of the “precariat” that also includes gig workers, temp labor, those who are under employed Working in tech isn’t what it was even 5 years ago

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

At this rate we’re gonna need to reclaim tech bro and have tech bro walks like we were reclaiming slut in the 2010s There are a lot of people who work in tech who are your ally. I’m hoping we can start building bridges around the issues we agree on instead of re enacting crabs in a bucket

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Reposted by Monika Viktorova

Brian (Stuttering Loudly) @stutteringloudly.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

If you’re COVID informed, please support / follow @thebeguiling.bsky.social on social media They’re a comic book shop in Toronto that requires masking(they provide a mask when you enter) Anti-maskers targeted them on one of their IG posts Thank you Beguiling for caring about immunocompromised ppl

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Devastated that this isn’t a reference to the musical act thievery corporation who are actually very good I am a thievery corporation booster* * if we’re talking about the music

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Kate Elliott @kateelliottsff.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I recommend this entire thread, and you'll understand why when you get all the way through it. A lovely analysis of human communication.

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Adam Radwanski @aradwanski.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Ideally the Ottawa-Alberta MOU would’ve led to enough policy certainty particularly around industrial pricing and carbon markets) to avoid this, but evidently not.

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Loving that I’m not in the weights at all thanks to all these Czech models and actresses. Digital camouflage achieved

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normal not odd @normalnotodd.com · 20/08/2026

please don’t put it in the skyline that i’m mad

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Great to see @scottsantens.com ‘s panel on AI worker displacement and UBI for tech workers impacted by layoffs

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Curious how this plays over time - there’s hype now so we’re seeing a spike of exploration. But sustained use proves out high fidelity workflow migration. There’s also the question of continuous training FWIW Pinterest uses deepseek for its image search and I find it’s garbage compared to Google

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Thank you for setting me straight on this 🙏I think he’s done an incredible job of increasing the profile of that style but important to give credit for the OGs

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Coach Finstock @coachfinstock.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I'm thoroughly convinced every AI stan secretly uses the chatbot feature more than they'll ever admit and believe it's their friend. It's a good explanation for someone going to the mattresses for something backed by all the worst people in the world whom they don't agree with on anything else

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I’m calling this the Ed Zitronification of the financial reporting space and that’s a compliment We need financial reporting that’s engaging and makes people interested in peeling back the layers of how wealth is being gambled at massive scale

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James S. Murphy @jamessmurphy.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

This is the former head of admissions at Notre Dame saying, basically, that not all ND students who are legacies or related to donors are dumb but that pretty much all dumb ND students are legacies or related to donors.

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Elizabeth Lopatto @lopatto.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

well! I wrote about Nvidia’s new plan to juice its earnings www.theverge.com/ai-artificia...

theverge.com

Nvidia’s new financial strategy does not compute

“That’s naked sleight of hand, in my opinion.”

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The Globe and Mail @theglobeandmail.com · 20/08/2026

Happening now: Our reporters are answering questions about data centre projects in Canada and the public backlash surrounding them. Submit your questions here www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

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kyle 中和 turner @tylekurner.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

back at @avclub.com asking the important questions, like, why do movies look like that now? spoke to a bunch of cinematographers, colorists, and editors to try to figure out what is going on: www.avclub.com/why-do-movie...

avclub.com

Why do movies look like that now?

Cinematographers, colorists, and camera ops explain how shifting technologies and business expectations are making movies look like that.

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Definitely bots. Started seeign these as bsky got more popular last year

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

@scottsantens.com thanks for capturing! It was a great discussion, and I’m thrilled to see this conversation centered in this year’s Congress Looking forward to our panel tomorrow

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

This came up today in the #BIEN40 polycrisis plenary: AI automates parts of knowledge labour, it may even help automate work that can be roboticized. But that’s still a tiny proportion of most work - most work is forms of caring and reciprocal labor that is not remunerated! It’s why we need #UBI

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Fun @funkelly.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

the good news is that, for at least the foreseeable future, these humanoid robots can be easily defeated by utilizing any number of foiling tactics demonstrated in your run-of-the-mill looney tunes cartoon.

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

😔 so sorry to hear. Disk stuff fucking sucks. Wishing you ample rest and hope the pain is manageable

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Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · 20/08/2026

laughed so hard at this one there are genuine tears in my eyes

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Zoom link for the webinar of the 40th Basic Income Earth Network #BIEN Congress here: us02web.zoom.us/j/88208048141 Polycrisis Plenary kicks off at 10:30AM EST

us02web.zoom.us

Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise cloud communications.

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

I’ve been a bit quiet on here of late but wanted to share that I’m at the 40th annual #BIEN Congress happening today and tomorrow in #Toronto I’ll be speaking about #AI and its role in the polycrisis, and why we need #UBI more than ever If you’d like to tune in, zoom link is 👇

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Alejandra Caraballo @esqueer.net · 20/08/2026

In the meantime, you can access the censored Amnesty reports on gender critical groups here. Make sure they cannot erase these documents from the internet. Like a snowball. dn711306.ca.archive.org/0/items/amne... A growing threat. archive.org/download/rep...

dn711306.ca.archive.org

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Alright new H-Mart drink day 2: this one’s called “Jasmine Flavored Lemon Tea Drink” Tastes like a lightly sweetened bottle of Jo Malone perfume - interesting, but wouldn’t buy again 6/10

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

Само да добавя че на части ми напомня на тази класика от любимото Канадксо шоу Шит’с Крик www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc9z...

youtube.com

Schitt’s Creek- Alexis Audition

YouTube video by Dom Frías

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Monika Viktorova @mviktoro.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

По принцип на Евровизия дледам само хайлаитите ама тази година станах стан #бангаранга Невероятен боп, лятото официално започна youtu.be/EltgrumKJfk?...

youtu.be

DARA - Bangaranga (LIVE) | Bulgaria 🇧🇬 | Grand Final | Winner of Eurovision 2026

YouTube video by Eurovision Song Contest

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