open-slopware/STYLE.md

Style Guide

This is a guide for how to structure the markdown tables and headings of the main README.md of this repo. Please be sure to organize the categories alphabetically to save people time in finding things within the list.

• Tainted Software
  • Category
    • Alternatives

Tainted Software

Be sure to put things in the correct category and always update the above TOC (table of contents), so people can easily find your entries. The alternatives heading for each category is only necessary if all items in the category share the same alternatives. More on that below.

Category

Make sure to format your table like below (note that it is alphabetized by software name):

Name	Last Untainted Version/Commit ID	Evidence	Alternative(s)
formallyCoolSoftware	v1.0.0 ab12345	(1) (1) (1) (1, 2, 3) (1) (1) (1) (1)	alternativeSoftForkSoftware coolSlopFreeProject
formallyOKSoftware		(1) (1)	alrightSlopFreeProject amazingSlopFreeProject (1)
NeverCoolSoftware	None	(1) (1, 2) (1) (1) (1, 2, 3) (1) (1) (1) (1)	coolSlopFreeProject
veryCoolSoftware	Not yet applicable	(1)

Name column: should be the name of software linked to their git repo (or other software forge if they don't use git).

Last Untainted Version/Commit: should be the last commit before AI started being used in the repo. You can provide both the version and a commit hash, but if you can only provide one, please prefer using the version. (Reminder: This is meant for forking only, as running old software comes with security risks.) If the project is , you can just use the word "None" for the Last Untainted Version/Commit. You must provide something (even "None" if Vibecoded) either for this column, or for the alternatives column - unless there is already an "Alternatives" note. See also: tips for finding the last untainted commit.

Evidence column: should contain one or more of the following tags (followed by up to three numbered evidence links in parentheses separated by a comma followed by a whitespace):

• 

  [![AI Functionality](./badges/ai-functionality.svg)](#ai-functionality)
  

• (keep in mind this is more severe than permissive AI policy)

  [![Vibecoded](./badges/vibecoded.svg)](#vibecoded)
  

• 

  [![Permissive AI policy](./badges/permissive-ai-policy-orange.svg)](#permissive-ai-policy)
  

• 

  [![AI Code Reviews](./badges/ai-code-reviews-purple.svg)](#ai-code-reviews)
  

• 

  [![Gen AI 'Art'](./badges/gen-ai-art-dark-yellow.svg)](#gen-ai-art)
  

• 

  [![AI Databroker Usage](./badges/ai-databroker-usage-pink.svg)](#ai-databroker-usage)
  

• 

  [![AI sponsored](./badges/ai-sponsored-blue.svg)](#sponsored-by-ai)
  

• 

  [![AI In Issue Tracker](./badges/ai-in-issue-tracker-teel.svg)](#ai-in-issue-tracker)
  

• 

  [![Condones LLM Ingestion](./badges/condones-llm-ingestion.svg)](#condones-llm-ingestion)
  

Note

The above order is the official order you should add your tags in.

In some cases, a project will be listed as tainted that breaks our Code of Conduct, and therefore, can never be recommended in the future. In those cases, please place the following tag next to the name of the software, .

[![Bad CoC](./badges/bad-coc.svg)](#bad-coc)

Alternatives Column: should be a link to the source of a different project that is similar to the one that is tainted, but does not yet have any AI in it. This column can be omitted if there are many alternatives for one entry. See: When to use an Alternatives Note Versus Table Column.

If an alternative itself has a Anti-AI policy, but it still merges in upstream LLM commits, then it should have the tag:

[![Soft Fork](./badges/soft-fork.svg)](#soft-fork)

Warning

You must provide either a last untainted commit/version or an alternative. You can provide both, but if you don't provide one or the other, you will be politely asked to do so. There is an exception if the tainted project is with no clear alternatives OR there is already an "Alternatives" note, then you may just write "None".

Don't know what the alternative or last known untainted version/commit is? Use this badge in its place:

• 

  [![Request for Help](./badges/request-for-help.svg)](#request-for-help)
  

Does an alternative you're recommending have an explicit and clear "No AI" policy? Use this special badge to make sure they stand out!

• 

  [![Anti-AI Policy](./badges/anti-ai-policy.svg)](#anti-ai-policy)
  

If the project has gone above and beyond, it may also qualify for one of these in addition to the Anti-AI policy badge:

• 

  [![Slop-Free Fork](./badges/slop-free-fork.svg)](#slop-free-fork)
  

• 

  [![Proof of Heart](./badges/proof-of-heart.svg)](#proof-of-heart)
  

Important

If a project has multiple tags, please be sure to add a break (<br />), with a whitespace before and after, in between each one, so that the column extends vertically rather than horizontally. This keeps the table visually consistent and easier to read at a glance.

Please do not submit GitHub screenshots of "A user you have blocked has previously contributed to this repository". Please instead link directly to the commit hash(es) where this has taken place.

Screenshots are allowed but must be a last resort for something that cannot be linked. We'd prefer archive links in all other instances.

When to use an Alternatives Note Versus Table Column

The above "Alternative(s)" column is for software that has a 1:1 parity or is a very similar alternative specific to the piece of software at hand. If the category or section is filled with the same alternative list (for instance, how it is in the terminal emulators section), you can remove the "Alternatives" column. Instead, you can add a note below the table with all the alternatives, like this:

Note

Category Alternatives

If there are a lot of alternatives for a section, include the alternatives in a note like this. These should also be alphabetized.

• alternativeSoftForkSoftware: This can be a short description.
• alternativeSoftware: (1) This can be a short description.
• coolSlopFreeProject: (1) This can be a short description.