"for example using 'i' as a counter in a loop which anyone with experience recognizes without even thinking." This actually isn't too bad provided the loop's s

"for example using 'i' as a counter in a loop which anyone with experience recognizes without even thinking." This actually isn't too bad provided the loop's scope is small and it is obvious from context what it is doing. It's variable names which could have a variety of different meanings used in larger contexts and scopes - that's when maintainer confusion really sets in.