difference in the tail command between most Linux distros and Fedora

[bob 295]

If you look at the reference for the tail command it talks to the option to 
specify a +n  so that tail starts n lines from beginning of file.

As an experiment create a 5 line text file called bob.    Then

tail +3 bob 

should dump lines 3-5.  

Except on Fedora systems.     Apparently they have a different flavor of tail 
which doesn't recognize the + sign and tries to open a file call "+3".

Does anyone have any history as to why this might be so?    Any work arounds?

Thanks.

bob

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