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Perhaps LLMs have mimicked the style because authors have popularized it and clearly it serves some benefit to readers.

It's a cycle.

> have popularized it

It's hated by everyone, why would people imitate it? You're inventing a rationale that either doesn't exist or would be stupider than the alternative. The obvious answer here it they just used an LLM.

> and clearly it serves some benefit to readers.

What?

Then why does every vibe-coded "Show HN" app have it in README.md? Surely authors would edit it out if it was true that everyone hates it.

Maybe vibe-coding Show HN apps is correlated with low effort and bad taste.

> It's hated by everyone, why would people imitate it?

It could be involuntary. People often adopt the verbal tics of the content they read and the people they talk with.

I think that the style itself is very clear and has its advantages, it's hated only because it's from LLMs, which are not liked when used without judgement (which is often the case).

So, someone who falls on the side of not completely hating LLMs for everything (which is most people), could easily copy the style by accident.

Life imitates art, even when that art is slop