An interesting example. The original “High Sierra” CD-ROM “standard” allowed for a filename with eight characters and a three-character extension. It did
not support the 14 (or more) character file names of Unix systems, nor did it support various linkage methods between files needed by Unix systems. This might have been because the companies that dominated the CD-ROM standards development were not “Unix friendly” at that time.

It was later that the “Rockridge extensions” were applied to the standard to allow Unix systems to use in easily. These extensions were driven by a company known as “Young Minds”, among others. The really ironic part is that at Digital I pushed to get the standard into Ultrix and Digital Unix, aided by a fine young Unix engineer named Paul Shaughnessy. VMS (whose engineers helped drive the original High Sierra version of the standard) lagged behind us in implementation, which lost them a major contract.

Paul Shaughnessy died a couple of years later of heart failure. Thank you for reminding me of him….good people like that should be remembered.

I guess the real lesson to be learned is that standards are good, open standards
are better, but open standards only work if all concerned parties participate. And finally, when you find a young person who is doing a good job, tell them.
I told Paul before he died….and I am glad I did.

Warmest regards,