Version Control for Normal Humans
Why do so many shared drives contain files named FINAL_v2_REAL_THISONE.xlsx? It isn't bad file naming. It's how people adapt when software doesn't match the way work actually gets done.
Or: Why We Have Files Named FINAL_v2_REAL_THISONE.xlsx
by Jana Diamond, PMP
Open almost anyone's shared drive and you'll eventually find it.
Nobody intended for life to end up this way.
Nobody wakes up in the morning thinking, Today I'm going to create version-control chaos.
And yet... here we are.
It Isn't Laziness
The easy joke is that people don't know how to organize files.
Sometimes that's true.
More often, though, they're solving a different problem.
The software says there's one current version.
Reality says there are four.
One is waiting for approval.
One has numbers Finance has already changed.
One is the copy your boss edited without telling anyone.
And one is the version you're pretty sure won't blow up tomorrow's meeting.
The file names aren't the problem.
They're breadcrumbs.
Humans Fill the Gaps
When a system doesn't match the way work actually happens, people build little workarounds.
Sticky notes on monitors.
Emailing yourself "just in case."
Printing a copy "for safety."
And yes...
Adding REAL_THISONE to the filename.
Those habits look messy.
They're often remarkably rational.
They're compensating for something the system isn't providing.
The System Says One Thing. The Workflow Says Another.
Maybe the document system doesn't make it obvious which version is approved.
Maybe multiple people can edit the same file without anyone noticing.
Maybe restoring an older version takes twelve clicks and three prayers.
So people invent their own signals.
Not because they're trying to defeat the software.
Because they're trying to survive it.
The filename becomes a communication channel.
Not with the computer.
With the next human.
The Real Lesson
When people keep inventing the same workaround, it's worth asking why.
It's tempting to blame users.
"They just need more training."
Maybe.
But if fifty different people independently invent FINAL_FINAL_v7_USETHIS, that isn't fifty separate failures.
That's evidence.
The software and the workflow have drifted apart.
And humans are doing what humans have always done.
They're bridging the gap.
The funny filename isn't the bug.
It's the warning light.
The next time you see a file named FINAL_v2_REAL_THISONE.xlsx, don't roll your eyes.
Ask yourself what problem that filename is solving.
Odds are, it isn't a file naming problem.
It's a workflow problem.
We like to think software shapes work.
Sometimes the opposite is true.
Work shapes software, too.
Humans just leave breadcrumbs for everyone else.
Originally published on Protovate.AI
Protovate builds practical AI-powered software for complex, real-world environments. Led by Brian Pollack and a global team with more than 30 years of experience, Protovate helps organizations innovate responsibly, improve efficiency, and turn emerging technology into solutions that deliver measurable impact.
Over the decades, the Protovate team has worked with organizations including NASA, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, Walmart, Covidien, Singtel, LG, Yahoo, and Lowe’s.
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