No, they don't (but I was also wrong in saying we use the same system they do). Zip has a concept of 'short' and 'long' options, but not in the same sense unix programs do. For zip -dc is very different than zip -d -c, while in the unix way, la -la is equivalent to ls -l -a.

Rar doesn't have a concept of 'long' options - it has various lengths of options, all starting with a single dash, /and/ commands that do not take a dash. 

Is it? Or is it instead of -prefixindex? Or instead of -put_throttle? And even if it were easier to use, I don't find that a very convincing argument to force people to change their habits.

Merlijn