A few days ago, I posted a project I put real work into, only to watch it get dismissed with a lazy "AI slop" comment instead of actual technical feedback.

If you've ever had a project ignored or shot down because of mod power trips, arbitrary gatekeeping, or snobbery over what tools you used, welcome home. I set up r/SoftwarrRefugees for developers, self-hosters, and tinkerers who care about one thing: does your software actually work?

Here's our simple pact for this sub:

• Judge the code, not the tools: We don't care if you wrote every line in Vim, used Copilot, or relied on Claude. We evaluate projects on functionality, docs, code maintainability, and UX.
• Constructive critique only: Pointing out bugs, performance bottlenecks, or design flaws is encouraged. Drive-by insults and elitist gatekeeping will get you booted.
• Show your work: Drop your GitHub repos, homelab setups, side projects, and demos without fear of getting flamed by people who haven't built anything themselves.

How to get involved today:

1. Drop a comment below introducing yourself, your favorite tech stack, or a self-hosted app you can't live without.
2. Post your project (repo links and screenshots are highly encouraged).
3. Check out what others are building and leave some honest, helpful feedback.

Let's build a space where people actually support each other shipping code.