Security: Malicious actors frequently use ambiguous or innocuous-looking filenames to conceal malware. A file named with an obscure token discourages scrutiny, especially when users rely on visual cues.
Preservation and provenance: Archivists and investigators rely on meaningful metadata. When artifacts are labeled with strings like "mudr255upart11rar," reconstructing origin, authorship, and integrity becomes difficult.
Usability and organization: For individuals and teams, cryptic naming costs time. Locating the right file in a sea of indistinguishable tokens increases cognitive load and error risk.
Lou S. Felipe, Ph.D. (she/they) is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she provides culturally responsive, trauma-focused psychotherapy. Her research examines the intersectional identity experiences of marginalization, particularly at the intersection of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality with a unique specialization in Pilipinx American psychology.
