[SIGCIS-Members] Current use of floppy disks

[Mai Sugimoto]

Dear Martin,

In Kyoto, Japan, floppy disks are still used in weaving looms for
Nishijin-ori, which is  traditional silk fabrics.
https://kyoto.travel/en/see-and-do/nishijin-ori.html

The Nishijin weaving factories introduced jacquard looms in the late 19th
century (probably in the 1870s), and since then the weaving patterns were
input by punchcards, which were gradually replaced by floppy disks around
the end of the 20th century. Even now, some factories still use looms with
such floppy disks. Since it has become difficult to obtain floppies, some
Nishijin-ori companies sometimes ask for donations of floppy disks through
SNS. I heard there are a few factories that still use old punchcard,
although these cards for jacquard looms are heavy and difficult to handle.


Mai Sugimoto
Associate Professor
Faculty of Sociology, Kansai University
3-3-35, Yamate-cho, Suita-shi
http://www4.plala.or.jp/maisugimoto/index2.htm
Osaka, Japan 564-8680

2021年11月5日(金) 19:58 Schmitt, Martin <martin.schmitt at tu-darmstadt.de>:

> Dear SIGCIS,
>
> today, I got a request by a German journalist asking about current uses of
> floppy disks. Are they still is use somewhere? Are there still users, for
> example power plants, airlines, banks or so who are using floppy disks? If
> so, why do they do that? I am sure that you can address this question, that
> was forwarded to me by Daniela Zetti, way better than I could. My first
> thought were computer hobbyists who are working with old computers and
> presenting them at Vintage Computing Festivals – cool stuff, but I do not
> think that is what the journalist wants to hear.
>
> Best
> Martin
>
> Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter | Post-Doc | digital enthusiast
>
> Technische Universität Darmstadt
> Institut für Geschichte
> Fachgebiet Technikgeschichte
>
> Mail: martin.schmitt at tu-darmstadt.de
> Tel: +49  6151-16-57327
> http://www.computerisierung.com
>
> &
>
> Assoziierter Wissenschaftler
> LEIBNIZ-ZENTRUM FÜR ZEITHISTORISCHE FORSCHUNG | POTSDAM
>
> Vice Chair IFIP WG 9.7 „History of computing"
>
> Zuletzt erschienen: Leslie, Christopher und
> Martin Schmitt (eds.): Histories of Computing in Eastern Europe, Cham:
> Springer International Publishing 2019 (IFIP Advances in Information
> and Communication Technology 549),
> https://www.springer.com/978-3-030-29159-4
>
>
>
>
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>
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