It's DEI bullshit, but the biggest problem I have with DEI is the rejection of competence in favour of pandering - and here, they managed to both pander and hir

It's DEI bullshit, but the biggest problem I have with DEI is the rejection of competence in favour of pandering - and here, they managed to both pander and hire people competent enough to do the actual job. It seems far less toxic to me than most DEI based decisions. Aside from skipping out on the bill, the biggest problem I have here is the incompetence (the same problem I normally have with DEI based decision making). These people are running an annual conference, and not only did they poison their own well (good luck finding competent hardware vendors in the future) but they derailed one of the most interesting scheduled talks at the last minute. People will remember this, and it has the potential to significantly impact next year's convention.