- cross-posted to:
- opensource@programming.dev
- cross-posted to:
- opensource@programming.dev
National Science Foundation (NSF) had offered $1.5 million to address structural vulnerabilities in Python and the Python Package Index (PyPI), but the Foundation quickly became dispirited with the terms of the grant it would have to follow.
“These terms included affirming the statement that we ‘do not, and will not during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion], or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws,’” Crary noted. “This restriction would apply not only to the security work directly funded by the grant, but to any and all activity of the PSF as a whole.”
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To make matters worse, the terms included a provision that if the PSF was found to have voilated that anti-DEI diktat, the NSF reserved the right to claw back any previously disbursed funds, Crary explained.
Likely why it was not accepted
Yeah, even if they weren’t willing to take a principled stance, that’s really dangerous. Especially with how temperamental these fascists are.
It’s not even on principle. From a pure business perspective, giving a funder the right to claw back money you previously spent is insanity.
I’m deeply proud of Python for standing by its community and making the right decision.
If they accepted it, saying “Diversity of libraries” could have get them into hot waters.
Go team snake 🐍
It’s a purchase of No DEI, not a donation.
In 2 days the White House will order every companie to stop using python because of woke or something
To them I say “good luck, fuckers”
Imagining all the llm dorks suddenly trying to learn typescript over the weekend
It makes me very happy to think about
Or trying to control their mice population. Wait what?
Or OpenCL.
I mean switching to OpenCL and not relying on CUDA would be great but I don’t know how I feel about it.
Trump’s bullshit already violated those laws though. Repeatedly.
Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect.
Good for them, standing on principle 😁
Fuck yes, Python.
Based
The PSF is (presumably) already required to comply with Federal anti-discrimination laws. Am I misreading the text or does it not actually create any new obligations for the PSF if they were to accept the grant?
If the article is to be believed there’s also a provision there saying that they cannot engage in any programs that advance or promote DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). That part’s new, and it’s honestly not well defined. What is DEI? Racial quotas and discrimination? Cultural acknowledgements? Anti-discrimination? All these things have been called DEI. Some of these things have been called the other. Without clarity, the likeliest definition is “whatever annoys the administration”.
a) the wording makes it legally ambiguous what exactly would constitute violating the text. If it just said “comply with anti-discrimination laws,” that would be one thing.
b) It applies to the whole organization, not just the group accepting and applying the grant, making it very challenging to meet the requirement.
c) Unlike just about any other grant, the funds can be clawed back in the future if something was violated. This is not normal for a grant, and puts the entire organization’s existence in jeopardy if they suddenly find themselves owing millions of dollars that had already been spent.
It’s very likely their legal council told them under no circumstances should they accept the terms.
They would be required to comply with the current administration’s extremely biased and borderline illiterate interpretation of those laws.
You are misreading. These new obligations would require the PSF to violate those laws
It normalizes the anti-equity principles of the granting party, which now occupies the US govt.
The benefactor had already shown exactly how they treat people that aren’t white Christian men, and it’s up to schools, businesses and organizations like the Foundation to show resistance and inclusivity.
One of our geology grants got hit for mentioning mineral inclusion. Total clown show.
Honestly this is magnificent. 🤡
Ooh I know what I’m using as variable names this week
Rocks are woke now.
Yeah, since rocks went all woke and stuff, they have really been rolling down hill…
My sediments exactly
Their metamorphosis has been a heavy topic to follow.
Gneiss!
Aww schist, here we go again!
Unironically yes ❤️
The diversity of rocks you can find in the environment is truly stunning
It is all just so unbelievably stupid.
One of my recent software projects has an “ignore” list feature, but I guess I have to update the terminology to “include/exclude” if that means chuds will stay away.
An administration that uses LLMs and Ctrl + F and vibes for policy decisions that don’t sound good even before you realize they don’t make sense, and ignores courts and due process… it’s a hazard to touch.
for real? Mentioning the wrong (key-) word gets you cancelled like this?
Yep. And Universities had to edit their papers to remove any “bad words”.
We now get to experience what it would have been like if the Nazis had a negative IQ. Which is impressive to say, because some of them were totally deranged.
All they’re doing here is ensuring that all of the really intelligent people leave and go live somewhere else.
After growing up watching things like Bill Nye, seeing names like the NSF saying shit like this is like an actual fucking nightmare reality. It’s just so incredibly wrong.
The python foundation should have asked them to define the terms of the contract in a document. At least that way we would have had a legal definition of what woke means in their eyes. Because I’m reasonably confident that even they don’t know.
Discrimination in the name of anti-discrimination
