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I used to manage a school Report Writing system that relied on an
app to write data to a floppy disk and we could write our reports on
our laptops or wherever and then save the data onto the floppy. The
floppy could then be put in a machine anywhere in the school and
update the master data base (we talking prehistory here, predating
the USB memory systems, let alone www updating!). We were getting
quite a few floppy disk failures where the disk suddenly became
un-readable. Suspicions were first put at the feet of innocent staff
but a when a few of the geekier ones also lost floppies, rumours
began circulating about the better brands to buy.<br>
<br>
Eventually the culprit was identified - people were using MS-Word to
save other files on their report database floppies and removing the
floppy before they had closed the MS-Word file down. While a Word
file was open, the filing system was unstable (something to do with
a primitive network idea to stop people writing to the same file?).
Anyway once people were alerted to it (we had about a hundred people
with floppies, and 1000 kids each with about 6-10 subjects each, for
about 6 years) just as suddenly the floppies were OK again. :-)<br>
<div class="moz-signature"><br>
<b>Rob Ward</b><br>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 28/07/15 23:56, Antoine Pitrou
wrote:<br>
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<blockquote cite="mid:20150728155615.298ecbe3@fsol" type="cite">
<pre wrap="">On Mon, 27 Jul 2015 21:42:46 -0400
JMZ <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:florentior@gmail.com"><florentior@gmail.com></a> wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">Hi,
Silly question: am I the only one who still uses floppies (ie. 1.44 MB
HD 3.5"/90mm)?
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</blockquote>
<pre wrap="">
Yes :-) Floppies are slow and fragile. Just buy yourself a couple of
USB sticks.
(ok, some USB sticks are unreliable too)
Regards
Antoine.
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