Why didn't I throw away the floppies whose files I transferred to zip disks and/or CDs? Good question. No doubt redundancy seemed like a good backup plan at the time. Of course, redundancy comes with its own problems when all your copies aren't synced.
For many of these old floppies, I recognize the labels and can check to see if I have the files on my computer. Others may be on CDs, but it's not easy to say. I'm pretty sure my homework from college didn't make the transition. And why would I want my Pascal programs from Computer Science 122 anyway? I don't know, but I kind of do want them. Others are more vague: "Homework etc. 92-93," "Writing 1998," "Work Backups (DP)." I know I have all my resumes, so what are the work backups? Submission lists, notes on jobs, equipment lists? Yet another disk has several programs or plugins listed at the end of which is "Sleeping Visions." I have a feeling that's writing, but I have no way to check. Off to the right by itself on the same disk is "Bleck!" adjacent to "(HW 93 fall)" in small print. What's that, topological proofs? Or maybe I was taking Real Analysis that semester.
My favorite has to be the "PANIC BACKUPS." No idea what's on that disk except that in knowing myself, I feel confident that information is saved and better labeled elsewhere.
Though I have no way to read floppies, I think I'll end up saving about 10 which isn't so bad as I'm getting rid of 50 and a couple of floppy holders. That's a decent percentage of progress. Who knows, once I dismantle the last 26 floppies, I may be ready to part with my old homework as well.
UPDATE 8/24: I did ditch my Comp. Sci. disk and a few others, so I'm down to five. If my brother doesn't have anything that will read them, I'm going to let that information go too. It's like I'm growing as a person.
Or not... because I realized: My writing mostly sucked when I was in college anyway. Besides, packrat that I am, I know I've got hard copies of anything worthwhile somewhere.
At least you know if you toss the floppies out, there's little to no chance of anyone stealing your data, unless they have a wayback machine.
ReplyDeleteI've taken precautions on that front in any case: running a magnet over the disk, taking the actual floppy disks out of the cases and cutting them in half.
ReplyDeleteBonus perk: might use some salvaged pieces to further my dancecube construction.
Yeah, the floppies definitely have a cute artiness to them now. You could make them into a purse or something. I have more than a few I could lend to such a project, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteI finished destroying the last five not too long ago and it was liberating. Yeehaw!
ReplyDeleteThat would make for an interesting purse, but I don't do purses. ;) I just saved the metal pieces except for the small wire clips within.
I'm still a bit stunned that I had 60 of them still. At one point, I was actually hunting for something else in a drawer when I discovered another 20 or so. Glad I found them when I was already invested in getting rid of them though.