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.”
NSF: “We’ll give you money as long as you don’t hire minorities”.
Python: “Get fucked.”
Chad shit
Besides the anti-woke bullshit, it’s just a bad idea to accept. It is absolutely not normal for a grant to have stipulations that if you violate some vaguely defined criteria somewhere in your organization, it can be clawed back at a later time. That’s a huge liability for an organization to take on that they may suddenly owe a million dollars some time in the future.
The text actually required them to not violate anti-discrimination laws.
What’s the size of the rock you’ve been living under in the past 10 months or so?
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That’s right. Fuck anti-DEI. DEI is the future and good.
Good for them. It is good to see people do something right for once.
The Seattle zoo also rejected federal funding with these strings. My wife lost her job because of it. Because it was just for one program and the no-DEI was organization wide…
Apparently the Portland Zoo signed it… No one expected that shit. We both let her parents know that this is because of their vote in another state.
There’s an often repeated theme in philosophy that any gift that comes with conditions is actually just business.
“getting bought” is more fitting imo.
And a nice little view behind the curtains how the fascists operate.
I would use the term extortion, but yup.
Oh for sure, Trumps business style is about extortion rather than collaboration. He has to win and they have to lose.
Even when it’s reverse? grants being conditional on DEI action has been a long time thing already
I’d say so. Yes
based Python.
This makes me love python (the programming language) even more.
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
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.
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.
Now this is concerning. FOSS is diverse by default, because of the international nature. They noted that FOSS software can be a viable alternative to the easily controllable IT giants, which is why they want to nip in the bud this way?
If they accepted it, saying “Diversity of libraries” could have get them into hot waters.
Good on ya, Gents.
One of our geology grants got hit for mentioning mineral inclusion. Total clown show.
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.
It is all just so unbelievably stupid.
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”.
Rocks are woke now.
The diversity of rocks you can find in the environment is truly stunning
Unironically yes ❤️
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!
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.
Ooh I know what I’m using as variable names this week
Honestly this is magnificent. 🤡
Fucking hell, good for the PSF for maintaining their values. I’ll make a donation when I get paid. I’m sure they would appreciate it if any one else can spare a dollar or two.
https://psfmember.org/civicrm/contribute/transact/?reset=1&id=2
Edit: Added donation link
This should be the top comment. Now, excuse me. I’ve got a donation to go make.
ETA: Done. I felt dirty using Paypal, but I was being lazy, right up until Paypal barfed up some error saying “This credit card can’t be used something something blah blah blah. Let’s try a different one.” In response to which I suddenly found the energy to go find the checkbook and an envelope.
In response to which I suddenly found the energy to go find the checkbook and an envelope.
Who on Earth actually still uses checks? Is it
20051995?
what would happen if they took the money and didn’t comply?
The way it’s written it’s impossible to know if you’re complying or not. They might have just said “don’t be woke” or “don’t piss us off”.
the terms included a provision that if the PSF was found to have violated that anti-DEI diktat, the NSF reserved the right to claw back any previously disbursed funds
So even if they didn’t violate the anti-DEI, whoever controls the US gov could just decide to claw back money PSF already spent…
Yeah, this is one of those terrible ideas even if you thought that, in theory, you were onboard with ‘anti-DEI’.
Out of the blue the wrong person gets randomly pissed at you and invokes the highly subjective clause and suddenly you owe them $1.5M…
I think at this point it’s not about money, it’s about sending a message.
