That might be true but I've using arc, tar, pkzip since the 80s and even then I lost work and had to clean up on floppy disks because of this issue. I suppose the prudent thing is to list the files before decompressing
Sure (and me as well) but, design bug? Maybe just different expectations of the user.
On that point, some heavy machinery took years before adding safety guards (some even required legislation before improving safety)
Like when I have an electrician at me house. Says the old way was dumb... but that was fully up to code in 1954.
Time makes fools of us all.