Vid_20230312_185837.mp4 -

The filename might look like a random string of characters, but it’s actually a digital fingerprint. To the average user, it’s just a file taking up space; to a digital archivist, it is a precise coordinate in time.

: A child’s first steps or a final laugh with a friend, tucked away behind a robotic filename. VID_20230312_185837.mp4

: A quick clip of a strange noise a car engine was making to show a mechanic. The filename might look like a random string

: A "pocket dial" recording of the inside of a jeans pocket and the muffled sound of walking. to a digital archivist