Japanese government triumphs over the end of "the war on floppy disks"

[Garth Gator]

 

The Japanese government has officially bid sayonara to the floppy disk, a relic of the early computing age.

 

The news comes after Japan's Digital Agency, spearheaded by the outspoken Minister Taro Kono, successfully eliminated 1,034 regulations that mandated the use of the format.

 

Minister Kono, a champion of digital transformation, told Reuters:

 

Quote

We have won the war on floppy disks on June 28!

 

While the floppy disk's peak usage occurred decades ago, some government offices in Japan continued to utilize them for data storage. This reliance on outdated technology hampered efficiency and posed security risks. The floppy disk's limited storage capacity and susceptibility to damage also significantly restricted its usefulness.

 

Japan has nearly phased out floppy disks entirely, with just one remaining regulation holding onto them for a specific environmental use in car recycling. Regardless, it’s a major step towards a more modern way of doing things, and Digital Minister Taro Kono has been a big driver of this change. He’s become somewhat of a hero for taking on outdated technology like floppy disks and optical discs, along with fax machines.

 

Those old technologies, while once cutting-edge, simply can’t keep up with the demands of today's data needs. Floppy disks, for instance, were invented over five decades ago and could only store a tiny amount of information, just enough for basic text. They were quickly outpaced by the creation of richer content formats.

 

• https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/japanese-gov-celebrates-demise-of-the-floppy-disk-1000-regulations-requiring-their-use-have-been-scrapped 
• https://www.pocket-lint.com/japanese-government-floppy-disks/ 
• https://www.iflscience.com/japanese-government-declares-victory-in-war-against-floppy-disks-74944 
• https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-declares-victory-effort-end-government-use-floppy-disks-2024-07-03/ 

 

 

Image: generated on AI