Published September 19, 2004 in the Hibbing Daily Tribune
Some people fear computers. Why would anyone trust a machine that lulls us into dependency and then arbitrarily destroys our work and property? It’s like a gourmet chocolate company that sells packages containing 19 delicious caramel-filled treats and one injected with uncooked pork.
Me, I used to fear computers, but now they’re so much a part of my life that I think of them the same way as I do an overbearing relative who makes scenes in public settings. They are often annoying, but ultimately endearing – or, if not that, too useful to drown in the river under the auspices of a family kayak adventure. I’m talking about computers here, not relatives. (Don’t worry, this metaphor will end soon).
But as computers evolve, old computers – and old components – become “archaic.” Archaic is a term used by computer people the same way high school jocks use the word “dork” to describe computer people. You don’t want to be a “dork,” and you don’t want your computer to be “archaic.”
That said, I think we can all agree that things purported to be technologically advanced should not emit grinding noises or malfunction randomly. This is why say goodbye to our old friends, floppy disks.
For those of you who use computers, I don’t have to explain what a floppy disk is. You’ve used a variation of these devices for years, perhaps even dating back to when they were actually floppy. If you’ve spent too much time at the computer since then, you yourself are now floppier than the disks.
For those who don’t use computers, floppy disks are those square things you put in the thing when you want to save things. No, not that thing. The other thing. Right.
Now I use something called a Jump Drive, which plugs into the back of my computer so I can save numerous large files. It’s more compact than a floppy and it also serves as a keychain. The very name, Jump Drive, sounds like something a hard rock band roadie would say to test the microphones.
“Test ONE! Test ONE-TWO! JUMP drive! JUMP drive!”
It’s so trendy and cool that I stopped using floppy disks all together, just like most members of the computer-using public. New computers no longer have floppy disk drives and a recent Associated Press story by Mark Niesse declares that computer pros believe the era of floppies to be officially over.
I read this story with a bit of sadness. Opening my desk drawer I find dozens of floppy disks from several years of work, school and play. Each of them carries precious memories on its circular magnetic strip, encased in familiar black protective plastic. I wouldn’t know where to actually find these precious memories because none of these stupid disks are labeled and there are HUNDREDS OF THEM packed into EVERY CREVASS of my office – which is why they are now archaic.
It’s always a bit disappointing when an entire genre of media devices slumps out to pasture, or in this case, landfill. But I do seem to recall many an important paper, story or whatnot devoured in the tiny jaws of faulty floppy disks.
Perhaps, once again, progress isn’t as fearsome as we once believed.
In memorial: Floppy Disks, 1977-2004 “We had joy, we had fun; we had seasons in the … what? Disk error? What the …
Aaron J. Brown is a columnist for the Hibbing Daily Tribune.