178994698
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Influencers are everywhere. A study from Casino.org estimates there are between 30 and 50 million of them worldwide, with that number growing by as much as 20 percent each year. For many, the lifestyle looks glamorous. But behind the brand trips and photo shoots is a grind that can have real consequences.
Ava is a glimpse into what an influencer of the future might look like by 2050. She is not just a thought experiment but a warning about what years of chasing trends, filters, and cosmetic fixes can do to a body.
The images of Ava were created by Casino.org as concept art, informed by medical research, to visualize how influencer habits might shape a personâ(TM)s health and appearance over decades. Put simply, this is what someone like iJustine (one of the internetâ(TM)s most enduring influencers) could look like if she kept living the lifestyle far into the future.
178992440
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Roku is celebrating a milestone that says a lot about where entertainment is heading. For the third month in a row, people in the United States spent more time streaming on Roku-powered devices than they did watching traditional broadcast television.
Nielsenâ(TM)s latest data shows Roku-powered devices accounted for 21.4 percent of all TV viewing in July. Broadcast came in at 18.4 percent. That gap may not seem huge, but it marks a steady trend from May and June where streaming also came out ahead. Roku says its share of TV viewing is up 14 percent year-over-year, which suggests people are not just trying streaming, theyâ(TM)re sticking with it.
The Roku Channel, the companyâ(TM)s free and ad-supported streaming service, represents 2.8 percent of all TV viewing on its own. But Roku is quick to point out that its platform goes beyond one service, covering thousands of apps and live TV providers. Itâ(TM)s not just about giving people access to content, but also about becoming the front door to modern television.
âoeWhen we first said that all TV would be streamed, it was a bold prediction,â said Anthony Wood, Rokuâ(TM)s founder and CEO. âoeThat day is closer than ever.â Wood said the company now wants to make streaming easier and more personal while also giving creators and partners more impact.
Charlie Collier, President of Roku Media, made a point about how much has changed since the days of the old TV guide. âoeIn broadcastâ(TM)s heyday, TV guides directed us to âmust-seeâ(TM) television and the pop cultural moments we shared. Today, the streaming platform is the guide, and the moments shaping culture are happening on Roku.â
Roku powers streaming on smart TVs and devices in over half of internet-enabled U.S. households. By its own numbers, it sells more TV units than the next two operating systems combined. Itâ(TM)s a reminder that Roku has positioned itself as more than just a box or an app. It clearly wants to be the place where television happens.
So, is traditional TV dead? Not yet, folks. Broadcast still plays a role, especially for live sports and local news. But with Roku steadily outpacing it, the balance of power is shifting. For many households, streaming is no longer the future of TV⦠itâ(TM)s already the present.
178977690
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has signed a new agreement with Microsoft that could change how federal agencies buy and use technology. The deal, part of GSAâ(TM)s OneGov strategy, is expected to save $3.1 billion in the first year alone.
One of the biggest perks is free access to Microsoft 365 Copilot for millions of government employees on G5 plans. Agencies will be able to use the AI tool at no cost for up to 12 months.
âoeThis agreement helps us advance AI adoption across the federal government, a key priority of the Trump Administration,â said GSA Deputy Administrator Stephen Ehikian. He called on agencies to take advantage of the new offers to cut costs and modernize operations.
Josh Gruenbaum, Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service, called OneGov âoea paradigm shift in federal procurementâ and said the savings are possible because the government is now buying as one large customer.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the company has worked with the U.S. government for more than four decades. âoeWith this new agreement, including a no-cost Microsoft 365 Copilot offer, we will help agencies improve citizen services, strengthen security, and save taxpayers more than $3 billion in the first year alone,â Nadella said.
Chris Barry, Microsoftâ(TM)s U.S. Public Sector lead, added that the company is âoecommitted to leading as the governmentâ(TM)s essential partnerâ as agencies move deeper into the AI era.
The deal also includes steep discounts on Azure, Sentinel, Dynamics 365, and Entra ID Governance. Agencies wonâ(TM)t pay per-agent fees for new AI agent features, which can power citizen inquiries and case management systems. Microsoft also waived data egress fees, making it easier for agencies to share information securely across departments.
Security is a major selling point. Microsoft 365, Azure, and other services are already authorized at FedRAMP High, meeting more than 400 NIST security controls. Copilot has provisional approval from the Department of Defense and is expected to earn full FedRAMP High clearance soon.
Microsoft is also investing $20 million in support services and workshops to help agencies get the most from the deal. Those workshops will focus on cutting software duplication, boosting automation, and improving interoperability.
Agencies can opt in until September 2026, with discounted pricing available for up to three years. If the projections hold, the partnership could deliver more than $6 billion in total value over three years.
178881562
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Hosting.com has acquired Rocket.net, bringing the fast-growing managed WordPress hosting company under its corporate umbrella. The move gives hosting.com a proven SaaS platform and a strong brand in WordPress hosting, while Rocket.net gains the capital and global reach of a much larger player. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Rocket.net will continue to operate under its own name, but it is now part of hosting.comâ(TM)s family of brands. As part of the deal, Rocket.net founder and CEO Ben Gabler has been appointed Chief Product Officer at hosting.com, where he will lead product and software engineering across the entire company.
Here at NERDS.xyz, we use Rocket.net ourselves, and we absolutely love it. The service has been rock solid for us, with top-tier performance and customer support that actually feels personal. That kind of reliability and responsiveness is rare in the hosting world.
Rocket.net has been on a rapid rise since its founding in 2020. In 2025, it ranked 167th on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in the United States. The company has also boasted a 98 percent customer satisfaction rate while powering some of the largest WordPress sites in the world.
For hosting.com, the acquisition strengthens its ability to serve a wider range of customers. The company, founded in 2019, already operates more than 20 data centers, powers over 3 million websites, and serves 600,000 customers worldwide with a team of 900 employees.
Jessica Frick, a veteran of Automattic and Pressable, will continue to run Rocket.net as General Manager, reporting to Gabler. âoeIâ(TM)m beyond excited by our new partnership with hosting.com. It will immediately put the Rocket.net platform in front of hundreds of thousands of hosting.com customers,â she said.
The Rocket.net platform will now be rolled out across hosting.comâ(TM)s global footprint, including the USA, UK, Germany, and Singapore, as well as new regions such as Mexico, the UAE, and Australia.
Both companies stress that their commitment to WordPress and open source will remain intact. Hosting.com already sponsors global WordCamps and encourages employees to contribute to the WordPress project, while Rocket.net has long positioned itself as a champion of the open web.
In plain terms, folks, Rocket.net is now owned by hosting.com. The brand lives on, but the acquisition means Rocket.net is no longer an independent company.
178856552
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
A new Redfin report paints a troubling picture of housing affordability in America, particularly for Gen Z and millennial renters and homeowners. Seven in 10 renters in those generations say they struggle to make their regular housing payments. Even homeowners in the same age group are feeling the pressure, with 41 percent saying the same.
The study, based on a May 2025 survey of more than 4,000 U.S. adults, shows just how widespread the crunch has become. Younger generations were hit hardest, though baby boomers and Gen Xers are also affected. Over half of baby boomer renters and more than two-thirds of Gen X renters said they have a hard time making monthly payments.
To make ends meet, young renters are cutting back on eating out, with 40 percent saying they dine at restaurants less often. Nearly one-third are skipping vacations, 27 percent borrow money from family or friends, and 25 percent pick up extra shifts. Some of the most drastic measures include selling belongings, delaying medical treatments, and in more than one in five cases, skipping meals.
Millennials and Gen Zers who own their homes report similar adjustments. They are more likely than renters to cut luxuries like eating out and traveling, but fewer said they are skipping meals or putting off doctor visits to make mortgage payments. Older Americans also trim back on non-essentials. Roughly 45 percent of baby boomer and Gen X homeowners said they cut back on restaurants, and two in five reported taking no or fewer vacations.
The backdrop is a basic affordability problem. Home prices are up more than 40 percent since before the pandemic, mortgage rates have doubled, and rents have climbed more than 20 percent. Wages, on the other hand, have grown about 28 percent in the same period. Younger workers typically earn less because they are earlier in their careers. Many are also burdened with student loans and do not have equity from a previous home sale to help.
“Many Gen Zers and millennials are making real sacrifices, picking up side gigs, selling their possessions, even delaying doctor’s appointments just to pay for the basic need of housing,” said Daryl Fairweather, Redfin’s chief economist. She added that “a lot of the young people who can easily afford housing can do so because they have major financial support from their parents, with roughly one-quarter of the young Americans who recently bought a home using family money for their down payments.”
Fairweather warned that with home costs rising much faster than wages, “people without access to family money are much more likely to struggle to pay for housing, which could widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots in the future.”
There are a few encouraging signs, however. Mortgage rates recently dropped to a 10-month low. Buyers now have more purchasing power and sellers are more willing to negotiate. Affordability has even improved in 11 major metro areas, including parts of California and Florida.
Jim Fletcher, a Redfin Premier agent in Tampa, Florida, explained that “the local market is slow, with builders offering incentives to entice people to buy and individual sellers willing to negotiate because there’s so much supply on the market.” He suggested that for people early in their careers, “it’s a good time to start building equity. They can get homes for less than they could have a few years ago, especially if they’re open to condos or townhouses.”
But the report also raises a larger question. If so many young people are skipping meals and delaying medical care just to afford rent, how are they still buying the latest smartphones, tablets, and laptops?
Look, folks, flagship devices now range from $800 to more than $2,000 nowadays. Even so-called budget laptops and tablets remain a serious expense. If housing continues to strain budgets, younger buyers may finally cut back on yearly gadget upgrades. That could ripple into the consumer tech industry, which depends heavily on these same demographics for steady sales.
178848304
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Brave researchers have revealed a troubling vulnerability in Perplexityâ(TM)s Comet that shows just how risky AI-powered browsers can be. The flaw, known as an indirect prompt injection, allowed attackers to trick the browser into carrying out hidden commands.
The research was led by Brave engineer Artem Chaikin and detailed with VP of Privacy and Security Shivan Kaul Sahib. They found that Comet could not tell the difference between a userâ(TM)s instructions and malicious text hidden inside a webpage. That oversight opened the door to serious account takeovers and data theft.
In their demonstration, a Reddit comment with invisible text instructed Comet to visit Perplexityâ(TM)s account page, grab the userâ(TM)s email, intercept a one-time password from Gmail, and then send the stolen data back to the attacker. Once the victim clicked âoesummarize page,â the AI did the rest automatically. No additional input was required from the user.
This kind of attack bypasses traditional web safeguards such as same-origin policy and CORS. Those protections normally prevent websites from stealing data across different domains, but when an AI assistant has full control of the browser, the rules break down. Because the AI operates with the full privileges of a logged-in user, it can move freely between services and access sensitive accounts without the user realizing what is happening.
178815140
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Google is preparing to bring its television platforms in line with the rest of Android. Starting August 1, 2026, both Google TV and Android TV will require app updates that include native code to provide 64-bit support. The move follows similar requirements for phones and tablets, and it paves the way for upcoming 64-bit TV devices.
For developers, the change means any new app or update with native code must include an arm64 version alongside the existing 32-bit variant. Apps that fail to do so will not be accepted on Google Play for TV devices. Google says the shift will bring better performance, shorter start times, and enable new experiences on future hardware.
If an app targets Android 15 or higher, it must also be compatible with 16 KB memory page sizes, another requirement meant to ensure smoother performance across modern systems. While 32-bit support will continue, apps can no longer be 32-bit only. Developers will need to ship both versions using App Bundle ABI splits.
Google stresses that this requirement only impacts apps containing native code, such as those with .so libraries. Tools like the APK Analyzer can help identify whether an app includes these files. To test the changes, developers can use the Google TV emulator for Apple Silicon Macs or physical hardware like the Nvidia Shield, which supports both 32-bit and 64-bit userspaces. Pixel phones running Android 7 or newer can also be configured to mimic TV resolution and DPI for sideload testing.
The company recommends developers begin checking their apps now and updating code where needed. By August 2026, all TV apps with native code must be ready for 64-bit and 16 KB page size compliance in order to remain on Google Play.
178802718
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
LibreOffice 25.8 has landed, and while it packs in new features and speed improvements, the biggest headline is who just got left behind. If you are still running Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1, this is the end of the road. LibreOffice will not run on those systems anymore, and there are no workarounds. The suite has slammed the door shut.
For years, LibreOffice kept older Windows users afloat while Microsoft and other developers moved on. That lifeline is gone. Anyone stubbornly clinging to Windows 7 or 8 now has two choices: upgrade or stay stuck on outdated software. LibreOffice has made it clear that it will not carry dead platforms any further.
And the cuts do not stop there. 32-bit Windows builds are on their way out, with deprecation already in place. On the Mac side, 25.8 is the last release that runs on macOS 10.15. Starting with LibreOffice 26.2, only macOS 11 and newer will be supported. In other words, if your computer is too old to run modern systems, LibreOffice is walking away.
178793784
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Google has finally revealed what is next for its smart speakers and displays. The company is pushing Gemini into your living room, replacing the Google Assistant with a more powerful AI voice. On the surface, that might sound exciting. But letâ(TM)s not ignore the fine print: Google plans to put parts of this experience behind a paywall. Yes, really.
For years, the search giant hooked us with free services backed by ads. Gmail, Maps, and of course Search all trained us to expect powerful tools at no cost. Now it wants users to accept that features we once assumed were included will only be available if we pay up. That feels like a bait and switch, and it could mark a turning point for how people view the company.
Gemini for Home builds on the same AI models used on phones. It can reason through complex requests, manage multiple commands, and answer nuanced questions. Google says it can find songs with vague descriptions, adjust your smart home with natural speech, and even help coordinate family life. You can ask it to create calendar events, manage shopping lists, or set up a timer for perfectly blanched broccoli. These sound like handy upgrades, but they also show how much deeper Gemini will integrate into personal routines compared to Assistant.
Gemini Live takes it further with conversational back and forth. You can brainstorm dinner with whatever is in your fridge, troubleshoot broken appliances, or spin a custom bedtime story for your kid. The pitch is that Gemini is not just an assistant, but a collaborator in your home life. Early demos show it weaving together tasks in a way that makes Assistant look outdated by comparison.
Over time, Gemini for Home will replace Google Assistant on existing speakers and displays. The company admits it will be offering both free and paid versions, and early access begins in October. That means the assistant you already own could feel stripped down unless you start paying. The very same devices that once promised convenience without extra costs are about to become subscription upsells.
This shift raises bigger questions about Googleâ(TM)s strategy. Amazon Alexa is still free, even as Amazon struggles to monetize it. Apple does not charge extra for Siri, though it sells hardware at a premium. By charging for Gemini in the home, Google is signaling that its long-term AI play is not just about ads or devices, but subscriptions. It wants to squeeze recurring revenue out of what used to be considered baseline functionality.
The privacy angle is worth mentioning too. Even if you pay for Gemini, Google will likely still be collecting data to refine its models and serve ads elsewhere. Consumers may rightly wonder why they should hand over money for features while also remaining the product in terms of data collection. Paying does not mean you suddenly own the assistant or control how it learns from your household conversations.
There is also the question of how much people will actually tolerate. Smart speakers have never been as essential as smartphones. If users feel tricked into paying for features that used to be free, they could simply unplug their Nest Hub and walk away. Google is betting that people are already too locked into its ecosystem to make that choice.
At the end of the day, Gemini for Home looks like a technically impressive upgrade. It can make cooking, troubleshooting, and even entertainment more natural. But the push to divide features between free and paid tiers risks souring the experience. The company that once bragged about free tools for everyone is now testing just how much its customers are willing to pay to keep the convenience they thought they already had.
178779026
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Kioxia has developed a prototype memory module that delivers both size and speed. The flash-based design offers an insane 5TB of capacity and 64GB/s of bandwidth, overcoming the trade-off that has limited conventional DRAM modules.
The work was carried out under Japanâ(TM)s Post-5G Information and Communication Systems Infrastructure Enhancement R&D Project, commissioned by NEDO. The goal is to create hardware ready for a world of faster networks, lower latency, and heavier data demands.
Instead of a bus connection, Kioxia used a daisy-chain layout that links flash memories through controller âoebeads.â This approach prevents bandwidth from collapsing as capacity scales upward. On top of that, a 128Gbps PAM4 transceiver enables high throughput while keeping power requirements down.
The company also addressed latency. A flash prefetch system reduces delays by pulling data in advance during sequential reads. Combined with low-amplitude signaling and distortion correction, the flash-to-controller interface reaches 4.0Gbps.
The prototype uses PCIe 6.0 as its host interface and has already been tested. It hit the promised 5TB capacity and 64GB/s bandwidth while drawing less than 40 watts of power. That makes it efficient enough to consider for real-world server deployments.
Kioxia expects the technology to play a role in Mobile Edge Computing servers. As 5G and 6G connect more devices, latency from relying on distant cloud servers becomes a problem. By pushing powerful memory closer to users, industries can support real-time workloads in AI, IoT, and big data analysis.
178752326
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
OpenAI is making a play for affordability in India with the launch of a new subscription plan called ChatGPT Go. Announced by Nick Turkley on X, the tier is priced at â399 and delivers a big boost over the free version.
Subscribers get ten times the message limit, ten times the image generations, and ten times the file uploads. Memory is also doubled compared to the free plan. Payments can now be made through UPI, and all subscriptions are displayed in Indian Rupees for easier checkout.
India is the first country to see ChatGPT Go, with OpenAI saying it will learn from feedback before expanding the option elsewhere. The move reflects the demand from users who have been asking for a more affordable way to use ChatGPTâ(TM)s most popular features.
178677920
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
If you run Plex Media Server, itâ(TM)s time to drop everything and update. The company has quietly patched a security issue that affects recent versions of its software, and users are being told to upgrade as soon as possible.
According to an email Plex sent to affected customers, versions 1.41.7.x through 1.42.0.x are vulnerable. The newly released build, 1.42.1.10060 or later, contains the fix. Plex says the flaw was found through its bug bounty program, but sadly, it has not publicly shared details about how severe the issue is or whether it could be exploited remotely.
Plex isnâ(TM)t saying whether this vulnerability could be used to run code on a server or gain unauthorized access, but its urgency in contacting users directly suggests itâ(TM)s not something to ignore. If your Plex instance is exposed to the internet for remote streaming, the risk could be even greater.
Updating is straightforward: you can do it through the serverâ(TM)s management page or by downloading the installer from Plexâ(TM)s official site. If you self-host, itâ(TM)s also a good moment to review your setup, disable outside access if you donâ(TM)t need it, and check your logs for anything suspicious.
Plex has had its share of security incidents in the past, including a 2022 breach that forced a password reset for all users. While thereâ(TM)s no evidence this latest issue has been exploited in the wild, the best move is to patch now and ask questions later.
The update is available today, and if you havenâ(TM)t installed it yet, you should make it your next click.
178669330
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Lenovo is starting its fiscal year with a major win, delivering record-breaking PC sales and claiming dominance in the AI PC space. For the first quarter of its 2025/26 fiscal year, the company reported $18.8 billion in revenue, which is 22 percent higher than the same period last year. Profit came in at $505 million, more than double the figure from a year ago.
The standout performer was Lenovoâ(TM)s PC and smart devices division. It posted its fastest growth in 15 quarters and secured a record 24.6 percent global market share. More than 30 percent of Lenovoâ(TM)s PCs shipped in the quarter were AI PCs, giving it the top position in the Windows AI PC segment with a 31 percent market share. This leadership is an important talking point for Lenovo as it continues to market AI features as a key reason for buyers to upgrade.
In Lenovoâ(TM)s view, an AI PC is a laptop or desktop with dedicated AI processing hardware such as a neural processing unit. These chips are designed to run AI-driven tasks locally instead of relying on cloud services. Possible uses include real-time transcription, AI-assisted creative tools, and security features like on-device threat detection. Critics question whether consumers are actually using these AI features or if they are simply purchasing new hardware because it carries the AI label.
Lenovoâ(TM)s approach is clearly connecting with buyers for now. High-margin premium models helped lift profitability, and the companyâ(TM)s hybrid AI strategy is designed to link personal AI devices with enterprise AI infrastructure. This allows Lenovo to push its AI message across multiple product categories.
The companyâ(TM)s mobile business is also performing well. Motorola, which Lenovo owns, has gained momentum thanks to the success of its Razr foldable smartphones. Outside of China, Motorola now controls more than 50 percent of the market for flip-and-fold devices, overtaking rivals in a category that was once dominated by Samsung and Huawei.
Lenovoâ(TM)s Infrastructure Solutions Group reported a strong quarter as well, with revenue rising 36 percent from a year earlier. AI infrastructure sales more than doubled. Demand for Lenovoâ(TM)s liquid cooling solutions rose by 30 percent as data centers look for ways to improve efficiency while handling increasingly heavy AI workloads.
Globally, the PC market has been working to recover after a pandemic-era sales surge followed by a sharp downturn in 2022 and 2023. While industry shipments are stabilizing, growth has been uneven. Lenovoâ(TM)s record quarter puts it ahead of competitors like HP and Dell in terms of market share, but the company still faces pressure from global economic uncertainty, changing consumer demand, and political tensions.
The question is whether the AI PC surge can be maintained. If buyers start to see AI features as essential productivity tools rather than marketing extras, Lenovo could benefit from a long upgrade cycle. If interest fades, the company may have to adjust its strategy just as the industry did after other short-lived trends such as 3D laptops and netbooks.
For now, Lenovoâ(TM)s supply chain flexibility, worldwide manufacturing presence, and aggressive product positioning have given it an advantage in both traditional PCs and AI-enabled devices. The next few quarters will reveal whether that lead becomes a lasting strength or proves to be a temporary spike in demand.
178663726
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
Fantasy football is no longer just a casual pastime. It is becoming a real-world experiment in how people adopt and trust artificial intelligence. A new survey from Qlik shows that more than two-thirds of U.S. fantasy football fans already use AI to make decisions for their teams, and nearly a third would hand over complete control. Among 35 to 44-year-olds, that number rises to almost half.
I absolutely love fantasy football. But I cannot imagine letting AI run my team. I understand wanting to gain an advantage, but part of the excitement is proving you personally know the sport. If a computer is making every decision, winning would feel empty.
Surprisingly, cheating is not what concerns most fans. In fact, only 13 percent think using AI is dishonest. Instead, 44 percent worry it will create too much parity and remove skill advantages. This is similar to the workplace, where simply having AI is not enough. The real advantage comes from feeding it quality data and making smarter, faster decisions than your competitors.
The survey also found that 52 percent of fans admit to managing their teams during work hours, while 42 percent say they are more comfortable using AI at work than in their fantasy leagues. When fans do use AI, it is mostly for practical and repeatable tasks such as weekly start or sit decisions, draft picks, prep work, and trade evaluations. Only 9 percent use it for creative elements such as trash talk or naming their teams.
Generational differences are clear. Younger and mid-career players are more open to letting AI take control, while older fans are far more cautious. Just 12 percent of those aged 55 and older would allow AI to run their teams.
âoeFantasy football may be a game, but it is also a low-risk, high-interest environment where people reveal how they will engage with AI in more serious contexts,â said Mike Capone, CEO of Qlik. âoeWhen you see people trusting AI with their lineups, worrying about parity over cheating, and using it for the same kinds of repeatable decisions that drive value in business, you understand how closely the lessons carry over to the workplace. In both arenas, the winners arenâ(TM)t defined by access to AI, but by the ability to feed it the right data, interpret the insights, and act faster and smarter than the competition.â
178645784
submission
BrianFagioli writes:
The Linux Foundation is once again stepping into culture wars, this time with an updated âoeinclusive languageâ guide for developers. Released by the Academy Software Foundation (ASWF) and the Alliance for OpenUSD (AOUSD), both operating under the Linux Foundation, the document tells programmers to replace words in their code and documentation that could be seen as offensive or exclusionary.
Originally created in 2021 by Barathy Rangarajan and the ASWF Diversity & Inclusion Working Group, the guide has now been refreshed with new terms to avoid. The stated goal is to build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture in software development. Critics will likely see this as another example of political correctness creeping into open source.
The updated guide suggests replacing long-standing technical phrases. For example, changing âoemasterâ and âoeslaveâ to âoeprimaryâ and âoesecondary,â or âoeblacklistâ and âoewhitelistâ to âoedeny listâ and âoeallow list.â It also targets workplace language, saying âoeguysâ should be swapped for âoeteamâ or âoefolks,â and âoeman hoursâ for âoework hours.â
Idioms are also under scrutiny. The Linux Foundation warns that many phrases do not translate well internationally and may have negative stereotypes attached. Ableist, ageist, and even violent-sounding language is also addressed, with âoesanity checkâ to be replaced by âoevalidation checkâ and âoekilling itâ changed to âoeexceeding expectations.â
Supporters say the changes make open source more welcoming. Detractors argue it is unnecessary word-policing that wastes time and resources. While the Linux Foundation frames this as a move toward respectful and intentional communication, the new rules will likely fuel heated debates in developer communities already wary of what they see as âoewokeâ overreach.
Whether this improves diversity in software or simply stirs up more online flame wars remains to be seen. One thing is certain, the Linux Foundation is making it clear that language choice is now part of the code review process.
