There was a time when tail didn't know inotify. It was so, so much better when it learned that trick. There was also a time when there was a utility called ino

There was a time when tail didn't know inotify. It was so, so much better when it learned that trick. There was also a time when there was a utility called inotail, bridging that gap until tail proper was improved. I very much preferred it over regular tail.