The Use of Floppy Disks in Japan
A tangible example of how certain practices resist the tide of modernization.
I always believed that the floppy disk had become a relic of the past in most places. However, I was surprised to learn that Japan still employs it, as indicated in this article. They use it to request businesses to submit paperwork in this format. This revelation is entirely unexpected, considering Japan’s leading role in technology and its perception as a futuristic society, well it is not modern in every aspect and this is a tangible example of how certain practices resist the tide of modernization.
The floppy disk was once the standard removable storage medium, widely used for saving and transferring data across computers. I remember using it myself for storing word text and source code. It was inexpensive and practical at the time until more efficient alternatives emerged.
In today’s scenario, with all the progress made in cloud computing, holding a floppy disk or even owning a computer equipped with these units could give people the impression that you are rooted in the past.
