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.”
Uncritical application of DEI methods without due consideration for the objectives isn’t reasonable.
But signing a contract that says “if you do anything we can construe as DEI we can demand payback of all the support you falsely relied on” is like stepping on a landmine and hoping the fuse stops working before you have to step off.