I recently discovered an article about PasteDB, an open-source project I built.
At first, I was actually happy to see someone writing about the project.
Then I started reading it.
I found that several parts of the article described PasteDB's technology, development process, and history in ways that don't match the actual project.
The article
The article is titled:
“Crafting a Product in Three Months: The Journey of Building PasteDB”
Several important details don't match the actual project.
1. The technology stack is incorrect
The article claims that PasteDB uses:
- Flask
- React.js
- PostgreSQL
- Heroku
It even provides a Flask/PostgreSQL code example as part of the supposed PasteDB development process.
However, that isn't the technology stack of my actual PasteDB project.
The real repository is here:
https://github.com/sorathiya903/pastedb
The repository and its history provide the actual implementation and development record.
2. The article describes a development process that wasn't mine
The article describes things such as:
- specific development sprints
- a Flask REST API
- PostgreSQL models
- React components
- unit and integration testing
- deployment to Heroku
These are presented as the development journey of PasteDB.
But they don't represent how I actually built the project.
The article's footer identifies the website as being designed and developed by its operator:
This is what surprised me the most.
It's one thing to write an article about an open-source project.
It's another thing to present a development history as the project's actual history when that history does not match the project's repository and documented development.
3. What PasteDB actually is
PasteDB is a developer-focused paste-sharing platform that I've been building from my own repository.
The project has evolved considerably over time.
Some of the things I've built include:
- End-to-end encryption
- Public, private and unlisted pastes
- Expiration and burn-after-read options
- Markdown and syntax highlighting
- Image sharing
- QR sharing
- Nearby transfer
- Search and Explore
- Version history
- REST API
- Python/Node tooling
- CLI
- VS Code extension
- Code execution
- Dashboard and analytics
PasteDB: https://pastedb.netlify.app
Github: https://github.com/sorathiya903/pastedb
4. I tried contacting the website
Before escalating the issue, I tried contacting the website using the email addresses available to me.
I found the following email addresses on the website's pages:
Unfortunately, the messages weren't delivered.
Attempt 1
Result:
554 5.7.1 — Relay access denied
Attempt 2
Result:
554 5.7.1 — Relay access denied
I wasn't able to establish contact through those addresses.
5. The issue has now been resolved (14/9/26)
The website operator directly got back to me and acknowledged the attribution issue.I got the email from operator on 13/9/26 at 9 PM
They explained that they had been inactive for some time and apologized for the delayed response.
Most importantly, they confirmed that they had removed the article completely.
I checked the original URL myself:
https://ayubbaba.in/blog/crafting-a-product-in-three-months-the-journey-of-building-pastedb
The PasteDB article is no longer there. The URL now displays the operator's portfolio page instead.
So from my side, the issue has now been resolved.
I also informed Hostinger about the situation, but since the website operator has already removed the article, I don't expect any further action to be necessary.
Why I'm keeping this post
I'm not keeping this post up to attack the website operator.
The original article contained screenshots and information that documented what happened, and I think the situation provides an interesting lesson for other open-source developers.
Your repository isn't just your code. It's also a record of your work.
Commit history, releases, documentation, licenses and timestamps can help establish how a project actually evolved.
If you're building something publicly, keeping that history organized is valuable.
What I learned
Keep your repository history
Don't treat Git history as something disposable.
It can become an important record of how a project evolved.
Keep your documentation accurate
A clear README and changelog make it easier for others to understand what your project actually does.
Keep licenses visible
Open-source licenses explain what other people can and cannot do with your code.
Document everything
When you find an issue involving your work, keep records of what you found.
Screenshots, URLs, emails, error messages, repository history, and timestamps can help establish what happened and what steps you took to resolve it.
In my case, keeping the original article screenshots and documenting my attempts to contact the website helped me keep a clear record of the situation.
Verify claims before publishing them
A publicly available project can be researched and discussed, but technical details and development history should be verified before being presented as fact.
An update for anyone reading this later
The original article has been removed.
The website operator confirmed the removal directly to me, and I verified that the article is no longer available at its original URL.
I'm leaving this post as a record of the situation rather than as an ongoing complaint.
I'd like to hear from other developers
Have you ever found an article, video, tutorial, or website describing your open-source project incorrectly?
How did you handle it?
Did you contact the author first, report it to the platform, or simply leave it alone?
I'd be interested in hearing how other developers handle situations like this.
PasteDB: https://pastedb.netlify.app
GitHub: https://github.com/sorathiya903/pastedb
PasteDB development story: https://pastedb.netlify.app/about
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