> a meaningful name is better than an arbitrary made-up name.
What's the difference? All names are ultimately arbitrary and made-up. For what it is worth, my best at attempt at interpreting this is that a meaningful name is an arbitrary, made-up name that also comes with a reasonably precise definition. In which case, the idea of choosing a meaningful name is the intent of the article.
You could say that all of human experience is arbitrary and all ideas are made up...
The difference between arbitrary and non-arbitrary in this respect is whether someone who speaks the language and has a general relevant technical background would understand what the name means, in principle, or not. If the developer makes up something arbitrary themselves, then they would understand it, and so would one or two people who review the code or interact with it. Anyone else coming onto the scene would _not_ understand what that's about. You would end up with a glossary of bespoke terms not known to anybody else in the world. Now just think what were to happen if each repository of code had its own glossary of this kind. (shivers)
> whether someone who speaks the language and has a general relevant technical background would understand what the name means
You are meaning in the case where there is already a well-known name for what is being described? That is reasonable, but in the article there is no pre-existing term known among those with relevant technical background for what is being described. A new name was warranted. Words have to start somewhere. All the words we know began life arbitrary and made-up.
What's the difference? All names are ultimately arbitrary and made-up. For what it is worth, my best at attempt at interpreting this is that a meaningful name is an arbitrary, made-up name that also comes with a reasonably precise definition. In which case, the idea of choosing a meaningful name is the intent of the article.