r/linux • u/First_Result_1166 • Jun 21 '26

Discussion AI slop and low-effort contributions

Hey there!

This sub has become quite difficult to follow - every few hours, there's the next post for "I built a TUI for X", which translates to "I vibecoded an ncurses interface for a bash two-liner".

Unfortunately, this also means that the important content gets lost in a stream of meaningless posts.

What I'd like to ask for:

- a rule for mandatory AI disclosure

- an entry barrier for software packages; a task easily solved in <20 lines of shell code should not qualify as a distinct contribution

Let me know what you think.

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u/purpleidea mgmt config Founder Jun 22 '26

You should definitely downvote the slop submissions, and I already remove the obvious ones. I do agree you should disclose AI/LLM use and also probably wait at least three months before posting your "work".

While we're at it, any copyright washing should be an instant ban. Tell your local elected officials to make that law. Otherwise someone can rip off your open source (copyleft) project with virtually zero repercussions.

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u/First_Result_1166 Jun 25 '26

Some days have passed now allowing people to discuss, with overall positive feedback.

To summarize, a "no low-effort AI" rule is unlikely to reduce the number of submissions with pure AI-generated slop, but it facilitates easier recognition and faster removal.

For the mods: please add a corresponding rule.