It's not the fact that it's an old system per se, it's an old system for which spare parts and people with the relevant skills to maintain it are rapidly disappearing.
On 27 May 2016 at 19:38, Alan Bourke alanpbourke@fastmail.fm wrote:
It's not the fact that it's an old system per se, it's an old system for which spare parts and people with the relevant skills to maintain it are rapidly disappearing.
10 years ago I was working for TicketMaster and the whole backend was running on VAX hardware. I'm talking about the whole infrastructure (web, telephone etc) interfacing with the VAX's.
Spare parts came from eBay. When I left they were planning to use emulators to replace the aging hardware.
This was TM UK but I know TM USA was similar. The place was a nightmare. Accounts used dozens of FoxBASE (yep!) programs that had obviously been hacked together by a non-programmer some decades before.
My point exactly... How many spare 8" floppy disks do you know of!!
Dave
-----Original Message----- From: ProFox [mailto:profox-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Alan Bourke Sent: 27 May 2016 19:39 To: profox@leafe.com Subject: Re: [NF] What’s controlling U.S. nukes? 8-inch flop py disks
It's not the fact that it's an old system per se, it's an old system for which spare parts and people with the relevant skills to maintain it are rapidly disappearing. -- Alan Bourke alanpbourke (at) fastmail (dot) fm
On Fri, 27 May 2016, at 07:00 PM, Gene Wirchenko wrote:
At 05:23 2016-05-27, Dave Crozier DaveC@Flexipol.co.uk wrote:
-----Original Message----- From: ProFox [mailto:profox-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Michael Madigan Sent: 27 May 2016 13:22 To: ProFox Email List profox@leafe.com Subject: [NF] What's controlling U.S. nukes? 8-inch floppy disks
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/whats-controlling-us-nukes-8-inch-fl oppy-disks-2016-05-26
Scary but not entirely unexpected!
Why is it scary for a system to work for years and years? Wouldyou prefer that it break?
Thinking about that I wonder if the VFP USAF logistics program is still running.
JFAST, and apparently so. I wonder if it is still mainlywritten in VFP. If so, would you find it scary?
The idea that just because something is older that there issomething wrong with continuing to use it is one that I think needs to be stomped on.
Sincerely,
Gene Wirchenko
[excessive quoting removed by server]
John, It will go with my multi platter 2.5Mb FED drive the size of a dustbin lid then!!!
Dave
-----Original Message----- From: ProFox [mailto:profox-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of John Weller Sent: 31 May 2016 08:43 To: profox@leafe.com Subject: Re: [NF] What’s controlling U.S. nukes? 8-inch flop py disks
I still have a box :-). I actually gave a couple of boxes to the museum of computing at Bletchley Park about a year ago but left one at home.
John
[excessive quoting removed by server]
I heard years ago that actual floppy disks like these 8" jobbies being spoken about here - actually can get this mold condition - rendering them useless!
Regards, Kurt Wendt Senior Systems Analyst
Tel. +1-212-747-9100 www.GlobeTax.com
-----Original Message----- From: ProfoxTech [mailto:profoxtech-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Dave Crozier Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2016 3:25 AM To: profoxtech@leafe.com Subject: RE: [NF] What’s controlling U.S. nukes? 8-inch flop py disks
My point exactly... How many spare 8" floppy disks do you know of!!
Dave
-----Original Message----- From: ProFox [mailto:profox-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Alan Bourke Sent: 27 May 2016 19:39 To: profox@leafe.com Subject: Re: [NF] What’s controlling U.S. nukes? 8-inch flop py disks
It's not the fact that it's an old system per se, it's an old system for which spare parts and people with the relevant skills to maintain it are rapidly disappearing. -- Alan Bourke alanpbourke (at) fastmail (dot) fm
On Fri, 27 May 2016, at 07:00 PM, Gene Wirchenko wrote:
At 05:23 2016-05-27, Dave Crozier DaveC@Flexipol.co.uk wrote:
-----Original Message----- From: ProFox [mailto:profox-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Michael Madigan Sent: 27 May 2016 13:22 To: ProFox Email List profox@leafe.com Subject: [NF] What's controlling U.S. nukes? 8-inch floppy disks
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/whats-controlling-us-nukes-8-inch-fl oppy-disks-2016-05-26
Scary but not entirely unexpected!
Why is it scary for a system to work for years and years? Wouldyou prefer that it break?
Thinking about that I wonder if the VFP USAF logistics program is still running.
JFAST, and apparently so. I wonder if it is still mainlywritten in VFP. If so, would you find it scary?
The idea that just because something is older that there issomething wrong with continuing to use it is one that I think needs to be stomped on.
Sincerely,
Gene Wirchenko
[excessive quoting removed by server]
All floppies, 8", 5.25" and 3.5" are just plastic disks with a thin metallic coating. Exposed to air (the older open floppies more than the closed smaller ones, but both) can accumulate moisture, dust and mildew. Gentle cleaning can restore some.
http://www.retrotechnology.com/herbs_stuff/clean_disks.html
There are a lot of forms of bitrot: dirt & mold, gradual loss of magnetism, incompatible formats, getting bought by Microsoft...
On Tue, May 31, 2016 at 2:36 PM, Kurt Wendt Kurt_Wendt@globetax.com wrote:
I heard years ago that actual floppy disks like these 8" jobbies being spoken about here - actually can get this mold condition - rendering them useless!
Regards, Kurt Wendt Senior Systems Analyst
Tel. +1-212-747-9100 www.GlobeTax.com
-----Original Message----- From: ProfoxTech [mailto:profoxtech-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Dave Crozier Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2016 3:25 AM To: profoxtech@leafe.com Subject: RE: [NF] What’s controlling U.S. nukes? 8-inch flop py disks
My point exactly... How many spare 8" floppy disks do you know of!!
Dave
-----Original Message----- From: ProFox [mailto:profox-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Alan Bourke Sent: 27 May 2016 19:39 To: profox@leafe.com Subject: Re: [NF] What’s controlling U.S. nukes? 8-inch flop py disks
It's not the fact that it's an old system per se, it's an old system for which spare parts and people with the relevant skills to maintain it are rapidly disappearing.
Alan Bourke alanpbourke (at) fastmail (dot) fm
On Fri, 27 May 2016, at 07:00 PM, Gene Wirchenko wrote:
At 05:23 2016-05-27, Dave Crozier DaveC@Flexipol.co.uk wrote:
-----Original Message----- From: ProFox [mailto:profox-bounces@leafe.com] On Behalf Of Michael Madigan Sent: 27 May 2016 13:22 To: ProFox Email List profox@leafe.com Subject: [NF] What's controlling U.S. nukes? 8-inch floppy disks
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/whats-controlling-us-nukes-8-inch-fl oppy-disks-2016-05-26
Scary but not entirely unexpected!
Why is it scary for a system to work for years and years? Wouldyou prefer that it break?
Thinking about that I wonder if the VFP USAF logistics program is still running.
JFAST, and apparently so. I wonder if it is still mainlywritten in VFP. If so, would you find it scary?
The idea that just because something is older that there issomething wrong with continuing to use it is one that I think needs to be stomped on.
Sincerely,
Gene Wirchenko
[excessive quoting removed by server]
-
Alan Bourke -
Dave Crozier -
John Weller -
Kurt Wendt -
Paul Hill -
Ted Roche