How do I create a folder name that starts with a dot in Windows 7? [duplicate]

I'm on a Windows 7 machine and need to create a new folder whose name starts with a dot. To be specific, I need to create the folder "C:\USERS\theusername\.ec2" because that is the default location that the AWS plugin for Eclipse likes to find certain configuration files.

Windows 7 gives me an error message whenever I try to create a folder that starts with a dot:

You must type a filename

Seriously? There are already subfolders in this folder that start with a dot!

How can I tell Windows 7 to just shut up and create my folder?

1. From the folder above the parent for the new folder, shift-right click on the parent, choose "Open command prompt here".

2. Type mkdir .ec2 (enter)

3. Close the command prompt

This behavior is based on a "feature" of dos 8.3 where it was forbidden to have a file without a name.

Name the folder .name.

So the Explorer thinks you will create a file with a name but no extension(which is allowed). The explorer will then delete the dot at the end because it is unnecessary.