GoTEK SFR1M44-U100...

[Fred Cisin]

>> I am reminded of an episode of "Computer Bowl" (TV game show).  Nobody
>> on Bill Gates' team could answer WHERE the write protect notch is on an
>> 8 inch diskette!

On Mon, 16 Jul 2018, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
> Indeed, I couldn't even tell you.  I *do* know where the write *enable*
> notch is, however.

Their team couldn't have come up with that, either.  And, they DID have an 
opportunity to give an adequately detailed answer to such things.

On 8", notch is write protect; no notch is write enabled.
on 5.25", notch is write enabled; no notch is write protected.
I think that that justifies calling the 8" a "write protect notch", and 
calling the 5.25" a "write enable notch".
Used 8" drives that I got sometimes had write-enable tabs in them that had 
fallen off.  Once out of the enclosure, you did not need tiny fingers to 
work on 8" drives.


I learned the hard way to distribute 5.25" software on no-notch disks,
after somebody peeled off the write protect tab in order to infect one 
with "STONED", and then claimed that we had sent it that way.  The serial 
numbers before and after were local, so I was able to confirm that it was 
ONLY that one disk.
When I switched to no-notch disks, I jumpered an SA455 for writing to 
non-notch disks.  I sure hope that I remember to jumper it back before I 
give that drive away.  I never had enough volume to justify a dedicated 
duplicator.)

> I can't ever recall hearing anyone ever calling the plastic ring on
> open-reel mag tape a "write-protect" ring.
>
> I've sometimes wondered how many 5.25" diskettes got inadvertently
> clobbered because of the reversal of the sense of the notch.

A lot.  I'm ambivalent about which way is better, but that is not a good 
kind of thing to change.