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Is that bad? (lemmy.world)

submitted 4 days ago by The_Picard_Maneuver@lemmy.world to c/whitepeopletwitter@sh.itjust.works

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[–] plenipotentprotogod@lemmy.world 12 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It's an interesting piece of tech ephemera, but devils advocate here, I'm not sure that I agree with the implication that this is a bad thing. The UI works. It gives you all the options you need with no major downsides or pain points. In this case, I think there's something to be said for: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

[–] kazerniel@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Agreed, I just find these instances of unintended longevity really fascinating :) The other day I was reading an article about how some infrastructure in Western countries still runs from floppy discs:

And in San Francisco, the Muni Metro light railway, which launched in 1980, won't start up each morning unless the staff in charge pick up a floppy disk and slip it into the computer that controls the railway's Automatic Train Control System, or ATCS. "The computer has to be told what it's supposed to do every day," explains a spokesman for the San Francisco Municipal Transport Agency (SFMTA). "Without a hard drive, there is nowhere to install software on a permanent basis."

This computer has to be restarted in such a way repeatedly, he adds – it can't simply be left on, for fear of its memory degrading.

In some sectors, the legacy use of floppy disks is being phased out. In 2022, a Japanese politician "declared war" on the ongoing use of older media. Subsequently, earlier this year, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that the government would no longer require businesses to submit official forms and applications on floppy disk. The Japanese government finally declared "victory" by scrapping the rules in July 2024.

Imagine having to submit official forms on floppy disks even last year 😂