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.
