185
top 21 comments
sorted by: hot top new old
[-] locuester@lemmy.zip 3 points 30 minutes ago

I had a shirt with this on it. It ripped today. Crazy timing.

[-] Axolotl_cpp@feddit.it 2 points 43 minutes ago

Would be cool to bring back 3.5" floppy as some sort of cartdrige for PCs but instead of the disk they have an SSD or similiar

[-] DrakeAlbrecht@lemmy.world 1 points 18 minutes ago

A 2230 m.2 drive is only 30mm long. That would easily fit in a 3.5" floppy with room to spare for a USB interface.

[-] MonkderVierte@lemmy.zip 5 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

We have forgotten:

delay-line memory

delay-line memory tube

mercury delay-line memory drum (also, a mess)

[-] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 10 points 9 hours ago

bit bucket /n./ 1. The universal data sink (originally, the mythical receptacle used to catch bits when they fall off the end of a register during a shift instruction). Discarded, lost, or destroyed data is said to have "gone to the bit bucket". On Unix, often used for /dev/null. Sometimes amplified as "the Great Bit Bucket in the Sky". 2. The place where all lost mail and news messages eventually go. The selection is performed according to Finagle's Law; important mail is much more likely to end up in the bit bucket than junk mail, which has an almost 100% probability of getting delivered. Routing to the bit bucket is automatically performed by mail-transfer agents, news systems, and the lower layers of the network. 3. The ideal location for all unwanted mail responses: "Flames about this article to the bit bucket." Such a request is guaranteed to overflow one's mailbox with flames. 4. Excuse for all mail that has not been sent. "I mailed you those figures last week; they must have landed in the bit bucket."

[-] AstroLightz@lemmy.world 8 points 10 hours ago

I recognize all but the large, black rectangle (Too big to be floppy?) on the left and the round thing on the right. What are those 2 things?

[-] Ooops@feddit.org 1 points 2 hours ago

No, they were that big and indeed quite floppy, too (only half as thick as those 3.5" disks and from rather soft plastic).

[-] BartyDeCanter@piefed.social 20 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

Left to right:

  • 5 1/4” floppy
  • 3.5” floppy
  • Sony Digital Tape Format, though may be D1D or Data8
  • audio cassette ( often used as cheap data storage in home computers)
  • one of any reel to reel formats
  • punch card
[-] AstroLightz@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

I didn't know floppys (floppies?) got that big! I only recognize the 3.5 inch one from old Windows 98 physical installs.

[-] BartyDeCanter@piefed.social 1 points 1 hour ago

My first had a 5 1/4, and I’ve seen the 8 inchers, but never had the pleasure of using one.

That sounded way dirtier than I meant.

[-] 1henno1@feddit.org 11 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

~~Not exactly sure what kind, but I think they‘re both forms of magnetic tape storage (cassette on the left, tape reel on the right)~~

(Edit: Got the one on the left wrong)

Side note: Tape storage is actually still pretty popular for long-term data storage!

[-] idegenszavak@sh.itjust.works 7 points 10 hours ago

The left one is a big floppy

[-] 1henno1@feddit.org 3 points 10 hours ago

Oh yeah, thanks!

[-] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 9 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

From left to right:

5.25 in (130mm) and 3.5 in (90mm}

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floppy_disk

VHS tape

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS

Compact Cassette

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassette_tape

Open-reel magnetic tape (as opposed to a cartridge or cassette)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/9-track_tape

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic-tape_data_storage

Punched card

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punched_card

See also:

108 Rare and Bizarre Media Types - The8BitGuy (much has been forgotten)

Bird Song

[-] idegenszavak@sh.itjust.works 8 points 10 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

Thats an 8" or 5.25" floppy on the left, there were 3 sizes:

[-] MrScruff@lemmy.zip 4 points 9 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago)

That's a 5.25" floppy. Back when they were actually a bit floppy. Before that there was an 8" floppy.

Next to it is the 3.5" floppy that came much later.

5.25" were square, so maybe you're referring to the VHS that comes after the 3.5" floppy?

Edit: I should continue reading before replying.

[-] Sadbutdru@sopuli.xyz 2 points 10 hours ago

3.5" floppy (left). Those badboys actually were floppy. Not sure about the other.

[-] BartyDeCanter@piefed.social 5 points 10 hours ago

Related question for old data media enjoyers: I have extremely vague memories of a computer I used as a kid that had a punchcard like system where the holes had colored cellophane or something in them, presumably to add a few more bits of data per hole. I think the cards were probably some sort of plastic or maybe laminated paper? Has anyone heard of something like this?

[-] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 5 points 9 hours ago
[-] BartyDeCanter@piefed.social 2 points 8 hours ago

Nice, but it wasn’t a viewmaster. Similar idea, but it was an actual computer of some sort.

[-] ExLisper@lemmy.curiana.net 4 points 8 hours ago

What you're describing sounds very weird because punchcards are mechanical media and colored cellophane would be optical. We didn't have any popular optical media until CDs. I think using optical media to store the extremely limited amount of data something like punchcard can store makes no sense.

this post was submitted on 28 Jul 2026
185 points (97.4% liked)

Programmer Humor

32490 readers
1374 users here now

Welcome to Programmer Humor!

This is a place where you can post jokes, memes, humor, etc. related to programming!

For sharing awful code theres also Programming Horror.

Rules

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS