Why put funny characters in filenames?

[buck at nrl-css]

From:  Joe Buck <buck at nrl-css>

The Regent 40 terminal, by ADDS (and other regents as well) have
function keys that generate unprintable characters, followed by RETURN.
So if you have appropriately named files, commands may be executed
at the press of a button. We have a management information system
here at NRL that exploits this feature (appropriate labels are
attached to the terminals) which is based on the Mistress DBMS.
It is used quite successfully by secretaries and managers with
no computer experience. For this type of user, pressing a labeled
button (which generates a menu for further choices) is more
natural than typing a command line with options and parameters.

If you are that concerned about your users making mistakes with
funny filenames, you have several options:

1) Never give them a shell prompt. Let them only run debugged shell
scripts.

2) Modify your ls to be like the Berkeley ls (if you already have it you
have no argument at all, since nonprintables are printed by default
as "?" and as \nnn if you give the "-b" option).

I know; you're saying "What about people with binary licenses?"
Personally, I'd rather modify ls than the kernel.