[vorbis] .ogg file extension for both audio and video?

[noprivacy at earthlink.net]

> > That's why they changed it to wmv and wma.  Same
> > file format, just a different extension so people &
> > apps can easily tell them apart.

> Since windows depends on the extension to decide what
> app to open the file with, it kinda forces us to have

Generally, you'll be opening up both formats with the same application.

There are definetly exceptions, though.  Plus just plain user preference of
having different extensions for audio only & A/V combo files.  You can thank
the mp3 & p2p revolution for that part....  If it hadn't been for that, I'm
not so sure that most people would have cared whether there was one or two
extensions.

> separate extensions for audio and visual files so they
> can open in different applications. As other people
> have pointed out, it's the way the basic system works.
> If ogg is to make it to the big time is has to fit in

As somebody else has pointed out...  We aren't the developers and they can
do what they want.

And, as somebody else has pointed out, users can do what they want with
extensions.  Although a recommended preferred extension will greatly reduce
confusion, and help all those applications that want to work with AV only
rather than having to deal with plain music files as well.  (Or just music
and no video.  Or...)

> with that rather than depend on switcher apps and
> other  junk that will simply make ogg too much hassle
> to use.
>
> > Even Microsoft isn't completely stupid.
> Really? They created this mess in the first place by
> making the whole thing revolve around extensions.

Well.....

I'm reasonably sure file extensions existed *before* Microsoft bought DOS.
It was done because it was convenient.

Even on platforms that had no concept of 'extension' (where the filename was
just a stream of text.)  Because it was convenient for the user and for
applications.

And the dependance on file extensions have been done in many many plaftorms
that Microsoft has had no part in.  Including other 8 bit platforms, mini's
& micros.  And even mainframes.  Including before Billy ever even created
Micro-Soft or wrote his first BASIC interpreter.

It's just the way things were done way way back then.  I got my first home
computer in Dec '82, so I was at least around for some of the early desktop
days.  And I've certainly heard & read enough about the earlier days,
including days of the vacuum tube computers, drum memories, etc.

And it's the way things are still done because, generally, it is convenient.
If it wasn't, people wouldn't be doing it.

I like Microsoft & Intel bashing too.  Just ask any of my friends.  But
sometimes things really aren't their fault.

Sometimes it's just the result of way things were done way way back then and
it's continued because "that's the way things have always been done".  It's
easier to keep doing the same thing than it is to try and force millions of
users to some arbitrary change that some developer thinks is "neat-o" or
"cool" or "awsome" etc.

Sometimes it's due to users & programmers ignoring Microsoft's
recommendations, etc.  For example, some of the DLL problems we have today
exist because programmers deliberately ignored Microsoft's earlier
recommendations about not putting application stuff into the Windows
directory, but instead should keep it in the apps own directory.  (And yes,
I know, Microsoft violates it too.  That recommendation has been violated so
many times most people don't even know it ever existed.  I'm just pointing
out, though, that even when Microsoft does have a good idea or
recommendation, that doesn't mean people will follow it.)

I'll admit Microsoft hasn't really helped the situation, but they aren't to
blame for it existing or for it continuing to exist.  *Forcing* users to
change can be very difficult and cause a great deal of trouble and
discontent.  It doesn't matter how good the idea is, change by force rarely
works and will always cause distrust, dislike, etc.

They did try the 'single file format' for all media formats and learned the
hard way that it wasn't what users and programmers wanted and that it was
just causing problems.  And you have to give them credit for actually bowing
to what the users wanted and introducing two new extensions for that file
format.  Solely for the convenience of users and applications.

<p><p>--- >8 ----
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