About

Why this publication exists

AI can now write working code in seconds. That's genuinely useful — and it has flooded the world with software nobody fully understands: unreviewed, untested, unmaintained, and quietly rotting from the day it ships.

NotVibesCoded exists to point at the opposite: software where a human stayed in the loop. Projects with real decisions behind them — trade-offs considered, limits admitted, documentation written, edge cases handled. We curate that software, and we publish practical writing about building with AI without losing the engineering judgment that makes software last.

What “not vibe coded” means — and doesn't

It does not mean anti-AI. AI-assisted development is normal now, and pretending otherwise would be dishonest. It means the output was owned: read, understood, tested, and taken responsibility for by a person. The vibe is fine for a prototype. It is not a deployment strategy.

How projects are selected

Every project featured here was examined by an editor against published editorial criteria: demonstrated user value, clarity of problem and solution, evidence of intentional engineering decisions, quality of documentation, and honesty about limitations. Inclusion is editorial judgment — not a guarantee, not an endorsement, and never for sale without disclosure.

How articles are written

Articles are practical, experience-based, and specific. We avoid hype, exaggerated claims, and generic advice. Technical claims are sourced where it matters, and uncertainty is labeled as uncertainty.

Sponsorships & affiliates

The publication may accept sponsorships or affiliate relationships in the future. Any sponsored placement or affiliate link will be clearly disclosed on the page where it appears. Sponsorship never buys a favorable review and never overrides the editorial criteria.

Contact

Suggest a project, flag a correction, or ask about editorial matters via the contact page.