— not confuse.

Every organization and each person has their own “system” for naming the electronic files they save on their own drives. This post is not about that. (Though I am available for organizational consultations.)

This is an invitation to think about how you should go about naming digital files intended for the public or others outside your organization. Consider these examples from The Trump-Ukraine Impeachment Inquiry Report:

Oh my. Only the last example is the most visually appealing and informative for the reader. (And it shows that you CAN use spaces when naming files!)

It’s not the public’s business if you save off your files like this (and have a team with amazing mental powers who understand what each file is at first glance):

But when it comes to sharing your digital files with others—especially the public—be kind. Give your file an extra shine of professionalism. Copy and rename the file. Use spaces. Assign names that (at first glance) easily let the reader know what the files are. Then hit send, submit, or publish.