Why Are We Still Using 8.3 Filenames?

FreekyGeek writes incredulously: "Here's a simple question: Why the heck is everyone still using 8.3 character file names for everything downloadable? We don't use 8.3 filenames for our own stuff. Every Real Operating System, and even toy GUI shells like Windows now support long file names. So why are we still using a filename convention that's almost 20 years old? Why do we have to deal with hard drives full of files named 'vcd43bup.exe' instead of 'Video Card Driver Update version 4.3 -- English'?" So can we really get rid of them?

"Who can remember those cryptic names 30 minutes after downloading them, let alone three months later? Are there still enough people out there using Windows 3.11 that we need this?

I suggest that as an industry, IT just decides 'It's time to move on from 8.3.' I mean, come on. This is ridiculous."

Comments

Speaking personally...

[arnald]

Being a Haiku fan, all my filenames on Linux are in 5.7.5 format. I find it helps me attain inner calm whenever I have to use emacs to load a file. :-)