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The Liberation Engine

Things to make / Recipe 03 of 13 · Organize

Rescue a messy downloads folder

See what belongs together without moving or deleting a single file.

What the agent made

Ran it for real with Claude Code 2.1.292 and OMP 18.8.5 on 2026-10-08, in an empty session with no saved memory. Your result will differ.

SAVED OUTPUT · triage.csv
filenameproposed_categorypossible_duplicatereasonreview_flag
cost-estimate.txtlantern-walk/budgetnoFictional cost estimate (paper $12, string $4, tape $3 = $19); explicitly not a purchase.no
errands.txtlantern-walk/planningnoPractice to-do list (chairs, tape, flyer proofs); related to event prep.no
festival-draft-copy.txtlantern-walk/flyeryes - exact duplicate of festival-draft.txtByte-identical to festival-draft.txt (same SHA-256, cmp reports no difference). Saturday version of the flyer, superseded by v2.yes - confirm which copy to keep before removing either
festival-draft-v2.txtlantern-walk/flyerno - related revision of festival-draft.txt, not a duplicateDiffers from the draft: title says 'revision', day changed Saturday -> Sunday, adds rain-date line. Likely current version but the day change is unconfirmed.yes - confirm Sunday is the correct day and v2 is the current flyer
festival-draft.txtlantern-walk/flyeryes - exact duplicate of festival-draft-copy.txtOriginal Saturday flyer draft; identical to festival-draft-copy.txt; older than v2.yes - keep one copy (or archive) after checking which name you prefer
fictional-contacts.txtlantern-walk/contactsnoInvented event contact names with .invalid email addresses.no
lantern-notes.txtlantern-walk/planningnoActivity ideas (cutout shapes, pencils) and a cleanup-volunteer need; overlaps topically with meeting-agenda.txt 'Assign cleanup' but different content.no
meeting-agenda.txtlantern-walk/planningnoPlanning agenda (route, rainy-day plan, cleanup). Rainy-day item relates to v2 flyer's rain date.no
old-itinerary.txtarchivenoOutdated fictional Harbor Loop itinerary dated 2023-03-10; file itself says 'Archive candidate, check before removing.' Not obviously part of the Lantern Walk.yes - file asks to be checked before removal
poster-brief.txtlantern-walk/designnoPoster design brief (title, lavender background, no photos).no
receipt-paper-shop.txtfinance/receiptsnoFictional receipt dated 2025-04-12 (paper rolls $7 + markers $3 = $10). Unclear whether it belongs to this event (date and items differ from cost-estimate.txt).yes - unclear which project/time period it belongs to
setup-checklist.txtlantern-walk/planningnoDay-of setup checklist (route, supplies, tables).no
sticker-ideas.txtlantern-walk/designnoSticker design ideas (lighthouse, water, lantern).no
supplies-list.txtlantern-walk/budgetnoSupplies list (paper, tape, string, scissors, pencils); overlaps items in cost-estimate.txt but is a different document, not a duplicate.no
tide-poem.txtcreative/writingnoShort two-line poem about a paper light and harbor; thematically related to the lantern/harbor files but not a planning document.yes - decide whether it is personal writing or intended event copy

The same prompt in OMP made its own version: open what OMP made. Two runs, two different results: that is normal.

Make your own

  1. Get the files

    Download the practice folder (ZIP)

    Unzip it: you get a folder called cli-practice with 15 fictional files. Download 15 fictional text files in unsorted/, including duplicate drafts, a receipt, notes, and an old itinerary.

  2. Open your agent in that folder

    Open a terminal in cli-practice and type claude or omp --approval-mode always-ask. First time? Set up in about five minutes, with steps for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

  3. Paste this prompt

    Work only inside this practice folder. Read unsorted/. Write triage.csv with one row per original file: filename, proposed category, possible duplicate, reason, and review flag. Compare contents before calling files duplicates; flag uncertainty. Write folder-plan.txt proposing destinations and identifying files I should inspect first. State the original file count and confirm the files remain in place. Do not edit, move, rename, or delete inputs; do not use the network, install anything, read outside this folder, or create temporary files outside this folder.

    The prompt asks the agent to stay in this folder; it cannot enforce that. Read each file change and command before you approve it.

  4. Check it yourself

    Open cli-practice/triage.csv in a spreadsheet app or text editor, then:

    Human check: Count 15 originals still in unsorted/, then compare the two draft copies and a differently worded draft with their inventory rows.

    When we checked the recording above: Counted 15 original files; triage.csv has 15 distinct rows matching all filenames; changed_inputs is empty. Compared draft contents: festival-draft.txt and festival-draft-copy.txt are identical, while v2 changes Saturday to Sunday and adds a rain date. The plan keeps originals in place and flags review.

Why an agent, not a chat window

An agent reads the local files, compares actual contents, and writes a traceable plan without requiring you to paste each file into chat.