Currently, if a student tries to access an unpublished file, they see a message like this:
Note that the filename is displayed to the student. This may not be an issue in certain cases, but there are many cases where it could be problematic:
- Perhaps you have an unpublished quiz where the filename indicates which material students need to study.
- Perhaps you uploaded a file called "031522_popquiz"--not much of a pop quiz if students know the date.
- Perhaps you have uploaded files intended only to be shared with other instructors
- Perhaps you have uploaded files with accessibility accommodations that include the name of a specific student
In these and other cases, the name of a file reveals information that is harmful to the function of the class. It also subverts the basic expectation that unpublished files are invisible to those who have not been given access.
It's not simple to track down the link to an unpublished file, but because Canvas uses sequential identifiers, it's entirely achievable for anyone properly motivated.
Consider Google Docs: If you try to access a file that has not been shared with you, the file name is not exposed.
Google does not reveal the filenames of unshared documents because this would violate the expectations of their users. Instructors have the same expectations of their students, and Canvas should function accordingly by not exposing the names of unpublished files.
