DEV Community: Andrew Cluev

A 257-byte Claude export. What happens to the user's work?

Andrew Cluev — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:14:23 +0000

A download link doesn't settle the problem if the download doesn't contain your conversations.

In a public Reddit post, user Hot-Comb-4743 reported that after two Claude accounts were banned, the export links returned only a 257-byte ZIP file instead of their conversations.

Read the user's report.

This is an earlier user report, not a newly confirmed incident. We haven't independently verified the export or established what happened to the underlying data.

Anthropic's current guidance says banned users can export data, but the available content may be restricted depending on the Usage Policy violation.

Read Anthropic's guidance.

The Ecode initiative

We are already studying cases involving blocked access to Claude conversations, files, and project materials.

Ecode plans to pursue collective legal action against Anthropic, potentially through a class action, to protect users' access to and rights in materials created using Claude.

Our immediate goal is to help affected users document their cases and assess requests for a usable copy of their materials.

We aim to make that help available soon. The intake process is still being prepared. We are not announcing a filed lawsuit or a guaranteed outcome.

How this connects to Ecode

Ecode helps people preserve evidence of their digital work.

For code files you already have, our free service combines a SHA-256 fingerprint, database registration, a trusted RFC 3161 timestamp, and a Polygon record.

You receive a certificate and verification files while your source code stays on your device. These records can help support an authorship claim alongside your original files and development history.

The legal initiative concerns access to the materials themselves. Ecode registration cannot recover missing Claude chats.

If you faced an incomplete export after a ban, a short description in the comments would help us understand the situation. Please leave out private conversations, passwords, and account details.

About Ecode

GitHub improves leak monitoring. Code evidence doesn't need a public upload.

Andrew Cluev — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:10:59 +0000

On October 23, GitHub announced improvements to public monitoring for leaked secrets.

The update includes ongoing checks to show whether supported exposed credentials are still active.

Read GitHub's announcement.

It also raises a separate point about documenting your own work: you don't have to make source code public to create a dated record of it.

I'm part of the Ecode team. Ecode calculates a SHA-256 fingerprint on your device. Your source code stays there.

The service registers the fingerprint in a database, adds a trusted RFC 3161 timestamp, and creates a Polygon blockchain record.

You receive a certificate with a QR code, a timestamp file, and a blockchain transaction link.

Keep those records with the original files and development history. They can help support an authorship claim.

Ecode doesn't scan for leaked credentials or check whether code is secure. Those checks still matter.

Registration is free. No card or subscription is needed.

Learn about Ecode

Showing a prototype? Keep a record of the code behind it.

Andrew Cluev — Tue, 27 Oct 2026 15:09:46 +0000

You've built a prototype. Tomorrow, you're showing it to a potential partner or investor.

A demo video shows what the app does. Keep the code behind that demo, too.

I'm part of the Ecode team. Our free service helps create dated evidence for code files without uploading the source.

Before the meeting

Save the files used for the demo. Register them with Ecode. Keep the certificate and verification files alongside that saved version.

Ecode combines:

A SHA-256 fingerprint calculated on your device.
Database registration.
A trusted RFC 3161 timestamp.
A Polygon blockchain record.

You receive a certificate with a QR code, a timestamp file, and a blockchain transaction link.

Your source code stays on your device. Registration is free, with no card or subscription.

Together with your original files and development history, these records can help support an authorship claim if a dispute comes up.

They don't replace confidentiality agreements or agreements about ownership.

A Claude export without the conversations. Ecode is studying these cases.

Andrew Cluev — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 14:26:05 +0000

An export button isn't much help if the download doesn't contain the work you need.

In a public Reddit post, user Overload175 reported that after a Claude account ban, their export contained users.json but no conversations.json.

They said they couldn't retrieve their past conversations.

Read the user's account.

This is a user report. We haven't independently verified the account or established why the export was incomplete.

Claude's current guidance says banned users can export data, but the available data may be restricted depending on the Usage Policy violation.

Read Claude's guidance.

What Ecode is preparing

The Ecode team is already studying situations in which users lose access to materials created using Claude.

We plan to bring a collective legal action, potentially a class action, to protect users' access to and rights in those materials.

We are working on the legal grounds and how to group similar cases. We aim to be ready soon to help affected users document what happened and assess requests for access to their materials.

A start date for this help has not been announced. No court filing is being announced in this post.

Why this matters to us

Ecode helps people preserve dated evidence about code files they possess.

Our free registration service uses SHA-256 fingerprints, database registration, trusted RFC 3161 timestamps, and Polygon records. It provides a certificate and verification files without uploading the source code.

The legal initiative addresses another problem: what can users do when they can't obtain their materials from the platform?

Ecode registration cannot recover missing Claude conversations. We are examining legal ways to seek access to those materials.

If this happened to you, you're welcome to leave a short, non-confidential description below. Please don't publish private conversations, passwords, or account details.

About Ecode

GitHub adds license checks. Keep records for your own code, too.

Andrew Cluev — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 13:41:10 +0000

On October 16, GitHub announced general availability of open source license compliance for eligible GitHub Enterprise Cloud customers.

The feature checks new or changed dependencies against an organization's license policy.

Read GitHub's announcement.

It brings up two different questions:

What are we allowed to do with code written by others?
What records do we keep about the code we wrote ourselves?

I'm part of the Ecode team. We work on the second question.

Ecode helps create dated records for code files. Your device calculates a SHA-256 fingerprint. The service registers it in a database, adds a trusted RFC 3161 timestamp, and records it on Polygon.

You receive a certificate and verification files. Your source code stays on your device.

Together with the original files and development history, these records can help support an authorship claim.

Ecode doesn't check software licenses or give permission to use someone else's code. Keep license information and evidence of your own work together.

Learn about Ecode

Prepared with AI assistance.

Starting a project together? Keep a record of what you bring.

Andrew Cluev — Mon, 26 Oct 2026 13:37:13 +0000

Two people start a project together. One brings an idea. The other brings code they've already spent months writing.

Before the shared work starts, it's worth keeping a record of that existing code.

I'm part of the team behind Ecode. Our free service helps create dated evidence for code files without uploading the source.

Keep a clear starting point

Save the original files. Register them with Ecode. Keep the certificate and verification files with that saved version.

Ecode combines:

A SHA-256 fingerprint calculated on your device.
Database registration.
A trusted RFC 3161 timestamp.
A Polygon blockchain record.

You receive a certificate with a QR code, a timestamp file, and a blockchain transaction link. Your source code stays on your device.

These records can support an authorship claim alongside your files and development history.

They don't replace an agreement about who owns what. Write that down too.

Registration is free. No card or subscription is needed.

Create a record with Ecode

Save the code. Keep the evidence.

Andrew Cluev — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:01:44 +0000

A certificate can't bring back a file you no longer have.

That's why saving your code and keeping evidence of it should go together.

Here's a simple routine:

Save the code file you want to keep.
Make a separate backup.
Register the file with Ecode.
Keep the certificate and verification files with that saved version.

Ecode uses SHA-256 fingerprinting, database registration, trusted RFC 3161 timestamps, and Polygon blockchain records.

Your source code stays on your device. You get a certificate with a QR code, a timestamp file, and a blockchain transaction link.

These records can help support code authorship alongside your development history. They don't store a recoverable copy of the code.

Free registration. No card or subscription.

Blocked from Claude. What happens to the work you created?

Andrew Cluev — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 14:00:25 +0000

Losing access to an AI tool is frustrating. Losing access to the work you created with it is a separate problem.

One public example

In a Reddit discussion about incomplete Claude exports, user OverworldlyYT reported that after suspension, the export contained only users.json, without the conversation history. They said an export made a few days before suspension had contained everything.

Read the user's report.

This is a user's account of what happened, not an independently verified finding.

Claude's current help page says banned users can request exports. It also says the data available for export may be restricted depending on the Usage Policy violation.

Read Claude's export and appeals guidance.

That leaves an important question: how can users recover their own materials when an export doesn't contain them?

What the Ecode team is planning

We are planning a collective legal action, potentially a class action against Anthropic, to protect users' access to and rights in materials created using Claude.

The initiative is at the planning stage. The court, eligible participants, and final claims have not been announced.

Why Ecode is involved

Ecode is built around preserving evidence of digital work.

For code files you already have, our free service combines SHA-256 fingerprinting, database registration, trusted RFC 3161 timestamps, and Polygon blockchain records.

You receive a certificate with a QR code, a timestamp file, and a blockchain transaction link. These records can support an authorship claim alongside your original files and development history.

Ecode cannot retrieve missing Claude conversations. It records a file you still possess. Access to the work and evidence about the work are both worth protecting.

If you experienced a suspension followed by an incomplete export, a brief, non-confidential description in the comments would be helpful. Please don't post private conversations or account details.

About Ecode

AI helps write code. Keep a record of your part, too.

Andrew Cluev — Fri, 23 Oct 2026 06:03:52 +0000

On October 20, GitHub published interviews with three experienced Java developers about using Copilot.

One point stood out: developers still need to review the output and remain responsible for what ships.

Read the GitHub article.

Keep a record of your own work as well as the finished file.

What did you change? What did you check? Why did you choose that approach?

Where Ecode fits

I'm part of the Ecode team. Our free service creates dated records that can support code authorship without uploading your source code.

It combines SHA-256 fingerprinting, database registration, trusted RFC 3161 timestamps, and Polygon blockchain records.

You receive a certificate with a QR code, a timestamp file, and a blockchain transaction link.

Keep those records with the original file and your development history. Together, they can help explain what existed and how your work developed if authorship is questioned.

Free registration. No card or subscription.

Try Ecode

Keep evidence of your code before you need it.

Andrew Cluev — Thu, 22 Oct 2026 20:01:09 +0000

If someone questions who created your code, you don't want to start collecting your records from scratch.

Keep them as you work.

I'm part of the team behind Ecode. It's a free service for creating dated evidence that can support code authorship.

Four technologies, one registration

Ecode combines:

A SHA-256 fingerprint calculated on your device.
Database registration.
A trusted RFC 3161 timestamp.
A Polygon blockchain record.

You receive a certificate with a QR code, a timestamp file, and a blockchain transaction link. Your source code stays on your device.

Make the record useful

Keep the registered file, certificate, and development history together. These materials can help support your authorship claim if a dispute comes up.

A timestamp doesn't tell the whole story of who wrote the code. That's why keeping the history matters too.

Registration is free. No card or subscription.

GitHub is improving secret detection. Here's a related point about code registration.

Andrew Cluev — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 16:54:39 +0000

On October 7, GitHub introduced a new model for detecting secrets in code, including passwords that don't follow a recognizable pattern.

The goal is to catch more of them before code enters repository history.

Read GitHub's announcement.

That raises a related question: what needs to leave your device when you register your code?

A record without the source

I'm part of the team behind Ecode. It calculates a code file's SHA-256 fingerprint locally. Your source code isn't uploaded.

Ecode combines database registration, a trusted RFC 3161 timestamp, and a Polygon blockchain record.

You receive a certificate with a QR code for verification, a timestamp file, and a blockchain transaction link. Together with your original file and development history, these records can help support your authorship claim in a dispute.

Different jobs, both worth doing

Ecode doesn't scan for passwords or prevent leaks when you publish code elsewhere. Use security checks for that.

Its purpose is to create dated evidence to support code authorship without requiring you to disclose the source code for registration.

Registration is free. No card or subscription.

Your code can stay private. Keep evidence of your work.

Andrew Cluev — Wed, 21 Oct 2026 15:19:53 +0000

Not every project belongs in a public repository.

You might be building a product, working under a confidentiality agreement, or simply not ready to share.

You can still keep a dated record of your code.

I'm part of the team behind Ecode, a free service for creating evidence to support code authorship without uploading the source.

How it works

Ecode calculates your file's SHA-256 fingerprint on your device. It combines database registration, a trusted RFC 3161 timestamp, and a Polygon blockchain record.

You receive a certificate with a QR code for verification. The source code stays with you.

Keep the full picture

Save the registered file and certificate alongside your development history. A timestamp records when a fingerprint existed. Your working files and history add context about who created the code.

No card. No subscription. Registration is free.