User:DragonflySixtyseven/Filenames

Filenames should be meaningful, so that humans can use them easily.

More than that, they should be uniquely meaningful. A first name, a last name, initials, abbreviations… those can be reused. They shouldn't be, but they are.

People try to upload "Hutchison.jpg" or "LGRHS.png" or whatever, and when the system tells them "this filename is already in use, are you sure you want to upload a new image" they just click 'yes' without bothering to read the full error message. Because people click through error messages without reading them. This is a known phenomenon. Or one person uploads "OECM.jpg" and another one uploads "OECM.JPG", and then they try to use the wrong version of the name and they get upset when it doesn't work right.

Always consider: if someone uploads a different image with the exact same filename, will it still represent the same thing even if from a different perspective? Or will it be something completely unrelated which will thereby screw up the article it's in?

Simply put: if a filename can reasonably be used for something completely different, then it is an inadequate filename, and should be changed.

Here are the 200 shortest filenames on enwiki, as of June 9, 2026:

UTV.svg SQP.jpg CSD.png Ja2.jpg Js9.jpg Sau.PNG VSJ.jpg CB4.jpg CE1.jpg Vfq.png Tpg.jpg MK3.jpg G7x.png JSu.jpg Pmn.gif Odo.jpg JPS.png Umb.jpg Tcs.gif Say.PNG Deu.PNG SIS.jpg RHA.jpg PBL.svg WP3.jpg Tq1.gif Pob.jpg Qs4.jpg STF.jpg Iit.png ST1.PNG EX2.jpg Tea.ogg Ucb.jpg Bla.JPG Kuk.jpg M3b.jpg M8a.jpg KiX.png Tax.PNG MTS.gif Mo0.jpg EP3.JPG Scm.png Ml3.jpg Paw.png SDI.JPG TCW.PNG Nob.gif Usa.svg SCi.png YJV.jpg Tv5.png Ie7.png Sfc.png StC.gif TDI.JPG TDE.png TCT.JPG TZR.jpg PTP.svg Qr2.jpg JWO.JPG Rtv.JPG ODT.jpg GKD.jpg T38.jpg KGW.png D54.png Bd2.jpg Sxr.jpg Sfh.jpg Jwo.GIF Tli.png Pba.jpg Gvf.gif UCH.jpg Kra.png M79.png JMS.jpg Lvb.jpg Knk.JPG Kv3.jpg SK8.gif UO8.jpg Ne2.jpg UMP.svg Fs5.jpg Mm6.png SMH.jpg Ne1.jpg NWF.PNG Nds.png G1c.jpg Sdp.jpg STI.jpg TVK.jpg PDW.jpg Nrj.png UoC.jpg SLG.png Ode.JPG RJ9.jpg IW1.jpg Npc.jpg RZM.jpg Scf.jpg SGC.jpg Pom.gif V&V.jpg RX8.jpg Stw.JPG UPR.svg Szr.jpg V4V.png SnG.JPG Xed.png Rtz.jpg Nah.jpg Saq.png Ba4.jpg VPP.jpg UTN.png Us!.jpg SOU.PNG Gxx.gif TDC.svg SMC.JPG Clf.jpg Ofi.png Imm.jpg IKB.svg Sca.svg Ct9.png JFY.jpg PH2.JPG Gow.PNG TMO.jpg SWC.png Mvm.png Ph1.jpg O4L.jpg SUA.png Two.png Rib.jpg Efy.PNG KCG.JPG THD.jpg OMV.svg GJ7.jpg KCL.jpg Adu.jpg SND.jpg GKN.svg WPN.svg RK2.png DM1.gif WPS.svg Ofr.jpg KQV.png KDA.png RSX.PNG TMC.JPG Pms.png Ge4.png De9.JPG U46.jpg Ptr.jpg MC4.JPG Ohl.JPG RHO.jpg Oh!.svg Sac.gif JWM.gif Pog.jpg Say.jpg T2G.jpg IRU.JPG KXM.jpg LP8.png Kyx.jpg MD2.gif CI3.jpg EE3.gif EK5.jpg Bsp.JPG EJ0.jpg Mb1.png Lno.GIF O30.gif Ml4.jpg NTs.gif Koo.svg Ne3.jpg Mjb.JPG Naj.jpg Npb.png CCD.svg Map.GIF CCA.png

For how many of those do you have any idea what they are? For how many of those can you think of multiple possible interpretations? I correctly guessed that "Odo.jpg" was René Auberjonois portraying the Star Trek character Odo — but it could just as well have been the Odo (restaurant), or the Odo (spider), or Franklin Odo. Rib.jpg is not a rib, and Paw.png is not a paw, and I could go on.