GitHub Reveals How Software Engineers Are Purging Federal Databases
A GitHub project called "Remove-DEI" seeks to eliminate diversity-related terms from a federal database, aligning with Trump-era policies, impacting the Head Start program and raising transparency concerns.
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A project named "Remove-DEI" has emerged on GitHub, revealing efforts by software engineers to eliminate references to "forbidden words" related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from a federal database associated with the Department of Health and Human Services’ Head Start program. The updates indicate a systematic approach to align federal agencies with directives from the Trump administration that restrict discussions around race and gender. The changes include removing the ability to search for information related to families affected by systemic discrimination and altering code to ensure these terms are deleted from the database. This initiative is part of a broader trend where numerous government datasets are being altered or removed, impacting their utility. The Office of Head Start, which allocates approximately $12 billion annually to support vulnerable children and families, is at the center of these modifications. The contractor responsible for managing the database, Ad Hoc LLC, is under scrutiny for its role in these changes, which reflect a significant shift in how federal data is being handled. The Department of Health and Human Services has refrained from commenting on the situation, citing a pause on public communications. This incident highlights ongoing concerns regarding transparency and the accessibility of government data.
- The "Remove-DEI" project aims to eliminate references to diversity, equity, and inclusion from federal databases.
- Changes are being made to align with Trump-era directives restricting discussions on race and gender.
- The Head Start program's database is significantly impacted, affecting its utility for tracking program effectiveness.
- Over 2,000 datasets have reportedly disappeared from government platforms since the Trump administration began.
- The contractor Ad Hoc LLC is managing the database and is under scrutiny for its involvement in these changes.
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- Many commenters express frustration over the potential costs and disruptions to developers who must adapt to these changes.
- There are concerns about the broader implications of such removals, likening it to censorship and a loss of transparency in government.
- Some users highlight the political motivations behind the project, connecting it to Trump-era policies and expressing discontent with the current political climate.
- Several comments draw parallels to historical instances of information suppression and propaganda.
- Others question the necessity and rationale behind the project, suggesting it may be a superficial PR move rather than a substantive change.
30 commentsThe SQL query:
SELECT created_at, 'https://github.com/'||repo_name||'/issues/'||number AS url, event_type, actor_login, repo_name, title FROM github_events WHERE match(title, '\\bDEI\\b') ORDER BY created_at DESCDigging into Settings (on desktop web) reveals options to turn on "Regional" and "Global religious" holidays e.g. "Start of Ramadan" -- but apparently no way whatever to recover the disappeared -- not even via menu button "Browse calendars of interest".
Also, looks like they're adding a deletedAt field and soft deleting items in the database rather than hard delete.
Side note, I really don't give a single shit what anyone thinks about Diversity equity and Accessibility initiatives (though, I do think being opposed to requiring businesses to have wheel chair ramps and such, comically cruel) I don't know how anyone can support having 18 year old randoms having access to Federal databases and direct access to the governments pocket book, and support going far past judicial processes to illegally gut the minuscule, nearly non-existent, social safety nets that we do have. Idk how anyone in their right mind can say the wealthy deserve a trampoline, and everyone else can't even get a safety net.
- Adolf Hitler - Mein Kampf (1925)I think this is great news. Well done Trump & co.
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