Stop Slopware: Build Small, Clean, Human-Written Software

Read Articleadded Dec 23, 2025

This piece defines “slopware,” criticizes misuse of AI that amplifies poor software practices, and reassures beginners while urging authentic writing and deliberate learning. It offers concrete steps to fix existing projects and guidelines for starting new ones focused on clarity, small scope, and maintainability. The site serves as a quick, honest link to deliver constructive feedback and encourage reflection.

Key Points

  • Slopware is low-effort, sloppy, noisy, and unmaintainable software, and misuse of AI makes it worse.
  • Beginners are encouraged to learn openly, but to avoid overreliance on AI, which weakens learning and authenticity.
  • Fix existing projects by slowing down, cutting clutter, rewriting what you understand, learning what you don’t, and making every detail reasoned and intentional.
  • Start new projects by solving one real problem cleanly, keeping scope small, writing your own README, and using AI sparingly.
  • The website provides a quick, honest link to share constructive feedback without repeating the same critiques.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment of the Hacker News discussion is largely critical and strongly opposes the "Stop Slopware" article. Many commenters perceive the article as condescending, short-sighted, and misinformed, particularly regarding the benefits of AI in learning and in rapidly developing functional software. While some nuanced agreements exist on specific points like the potential for AI overuse to hinder deep learning or the issue of misleadingly presented projects, the dominant tone is one of strong disagreement with the article's prescriptive nature and its implied resistance to evolving software development practices.

In Agreement

  • AI-generated projects that exhibit signs of competent design but are non-functional constitute "false advertising," wasting the time of those evaluating them.
  • While AI can be a powerful learning tool, there is a "slippery slope" where over-reliance can lead to less contextual understanding, shallower learning, and "mental coasting" compared to more deliberate, traditional learning methods.
  • The underlying principle of developer responsibility and stewardship in open-source projects, which the article emphasizes, holds value, even if some critics apply it ironically to the article itself.

Opposed

  • AI is an extremely valuable tool for learning programming, as it helps beginners discover common practices, significantly reduces the learning curve, and acts as an accessible, 24/7 interactive tutor.
  • The article is dismissive, "virtue signaling," "condescending," and reflects an "anti-AI" or "hyper opinionated" engineering perspective that fails to embrace the evolving nature of software development.
  • If "slopware," even if AI-generated, effectively solves real problems for users and generates value (e.g., significant revenue), then its adherence to traditional code quality standards is irrelevant or less important.
  • The problem of "buggy messes" is more prevalent in software produced by large corporations than by individual developers or AI-assisted projects, suggesting the article's focus is misplaced.
  • There's no need to be prescriptive about how software is made; the best software will win on its merits, and bad software will naturally die without the need for such admonishments.
  • AI-generated code quality and maintainability are rapidly improving and will soon surpass what traditionally written code can achieve, making the article's concerns quickly obsolete.
Stop Slopware: Build Small, Clean, Human-Written Software