Someone who says behind your back to use vibe-code over yours seems like a piece of shit.
this post was submitted on 06 Feb 2026
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I would not be the first RA to quit working with him.
said to not use my code, but instead use his vibe-coded script that gave better results
You need an advisor who will be direct when they think there are issues with your code or the timeliness of your deliverables
May I ask how long you've been working with them?
I think about a year and a half
Some more details.
You need an advisor who will be direct when they think there are issues with your code or the timeliness of your deliverables
To be clear, I was late on my deliverables (because I had lost sleep thinking about what to do about the other stuff but that's besides the point.) However, I was being yelled at while doing another thing that was asked for, explicitly due in 2 hours. (during the meeting he asked for this, he went on a long tirade about being the strong man for yelling and "embarrassing himself") I'm not saying I wasn't in the wrong, it was just the straw that broke the camels back for me.
My advisor has given me lots of feedback. It conflicts day from day and is completely impossible to follow. (A few weeks ago he told he "Finally understands" my place in on the team, as the one who "Understands things".) He also doesn't know how to program (in the computer science department) so he has no concept of the actual quality of my code.
He also doesn't know how to program (in the computer science department) so he has no concept of the actual quality of my code.
This is the biggest of the red flags, but the other communication issues seem serious as well.
Finally understands" my place in on the team, as the one who "Understands things"
This shit is equally enraging and terrifying by proxy. I'm sure this could be charitably interpreted many ways, but in context of this guy's vibecoding, this reeks of someone who would rather press the "theorem is obvious/intheliterature/leftasanexerciseforthereader" button than really engage with the work they're supervising. It's not required (and it would be weird) for your advisor to understand every aspect of your work that they supervise at the depth and facility you do, but they should feel like they broadly understand it and nearly every supporting concept involved unless your work is absurdly multidisciplinary to the extent that your advisor has never really studied computer science directly.
I was being yelled at while doing another thing that was asked for, explicitly due in 2 hours.
Yeah, this and bringing all of this up in a group meeting with other researchers where presumably the task was not to berate a student for being late is more what I was referring to about direct communication.
In my experience, to communicate issues meeting expectations (outside of maybe "lab manager" type duties that might affect everybody's work when whoever is on duty is late or fucks up), professionals only bring this stuff up in direct 1-1 meetings.
Even then, the criticism in a group meeting should be general and feedback for specific individuals given in private. "Guys, the hazardous materials cabinet was unlocked when I came in this morning, can the last person out double check even if they haven't used it that day?" is public feedback. "dat_math, you didn't tidy your workspace properly before leaving last night" is private feedback.
I was late on my deliverables (because I had lost sleep thinking about what to do about the other stuff but that's besides the point.) However, I was being yelled at while doing another thing that was asked for, explicitly due in 2 hours.
He also doesn't know how to program
Anyone who has written a computer programme knows that you cannot predict how long it will take before you start. Doubly so if you are coming up with something new (which I assume you are). If something takes longer than expected to write, it takes longer than expected to write, and that's it. Definitely not an excuse to shout or be unprofessional about.
academia is the #2 institution for bullying, only beaten by the military. completely terrible humans are given enormous institutional power to field teams with little or no oversight. administration's overarching directive is to protect the reputation of the institution, so they will throw grad students under the bus en masse unless there's a viral video of their little lordling having sex with their direct reports.
i would absolutely find another advisor and jump ship. and talk to that potential advisors current / former advisees before you start negotiating, because you need the new one to work out. and don't leave your current until you have your landing sorted out. and don't let on that you're leaving until its all sorted out.
the longer you try to stick it out, the harder its going to be to leave, and the more awful shit they'll be able to get away with as their control over your future reaches a crescendo.
i saw some of the most unbelievably unprofessional conduct, re: bullying, tolerated in the academy. i was non-traditional and had a whole ass career and career change before going to school, so i wasn't some impressionable kid that could be lead to believe things like this were normal in the workplace. i could find my rabbi, compartmentalize, and navigate the minefield of sadistic careerists and toxic losers to find the pockets of cool people doing cool shit and collaborating with them or just hanging out and sharing ideas.
so much cruel behavior was tolerated. even by completely low performing, incompetent junior faculty. the institution just ignores these toxic people until they get so radioactive they make the news, hoping it will all just go away in its own right up until they have to step in. meanwhile, countless multitudes of aspiring young scientists are ground up and spit out and trampled all over for literally no reason.
i left after a decade and have been in the unionized public sector for a few years now. it isn't a utopia, but it is a completely different professional culture and its taken a long time to unwind the trauma of seeing that kind of shit happen routinely.
this guy seems like a series of red flags. i got burned out of academia working for a really useless guy who had no handle on how to manage his group or teach us how to do the work etc. he liked to make "toy models" of problems his students were having instead of learning to contribute, which always had the feel of what vibe coding now provides. if you're not anathema to it, it would probably wise to find a more emotionally stable advisor.
Yes, 1000%. So many red flags in this post. Your advisor is going to be your primary advocate after you finish, and you need to be able to trust him to help market you and your skills on the job market. That's like 75% of the job. The other 25% is helping you develop the skills you need to be an independent researcher, both by guiding you and modeling the skills. It sounds like you can't trust him to do any of that. Find someone who has your back. My advisor was one of the kindest people I've ever met, and an amazing mentor. It made the whole grad school experience so much better. Your name will be closely associated with this guy's for years at least. If that makes you uncomfortable, that's another great reason to switch.
That person is definitely an asshole and seems to have some beef with you for some reason. That said for optics reasons you probably could have handled that better, not for his sake of course but in such professional settings people are really into "muh decorum" and shit like that.
What you should do is catch him slipping and put a magnifying glass on his own deficiencies and mistakes to other people on the project. Just be warned that might backfire too not sure how the dynamics in your team work, he might have more political leverage than you so it could be you're fucked no matter what you do, unfortunately that's just how these things work sometimes, but chances are if he's an asshole to you he's probably an asshole to other people as well.
average experience working with coders
Am I correct in feeling this way, or am I overreacting?
From what you're saying it sounds like you're completely in the right and framing this as "I've tried to work with him but he has only gotten increasing belligerent as time has gone on and he's gotten used to me" you have a strong reason.
And if he's putting you on blast to other RAs I'm sure you can include you overheard it and maybe whoever is in charge of that whole situation looks into things that way too idk. Also like you mentioned, not the first to quit working with him, thats a strong point in your favor too. Can't imagine that goes unnoticed along with him making dogwater ass SlopCode.
Feels like one of those things that gets worse not better as time goes on. I'd 86 out of there. And if they try/suggest to have you work it out with him I'd probably call the bluff and refuse. Make it clear it's really serious.
i dont have any advice but he sounds like a dick so i empathize
You are overreacting, and switching advisors will set you back. Maybe he is right and your code is messy. Everyone makes mistakes. I'm sure his is bad too but he may still have useful advice to give
You should look up what vibe coding actually is
switching advisors will set you back.
Meanwhile, an advisor who badmouths your work to others behind your back is a positive boon to your career...
The quality of my code is not the issue. I am offended that my work was insulted in front of my peers behind my back.