You probably don’t remember floppy disks at all now that the 21st century has been around for more than two decades.
The war against floppy disks has been declared by the government of Japan. To modernize its bureaucracy, decades after the cumbersome magnetic storage disks, Tokyo’s digital ministry announced that it will finally get rid of these outdated technologies and phase them out globally!
Japan’s digital minister, Taro Kono, stated this week during a press conference that he was striving to move administrative processes online. He tweeted in English earlier last week, “Digital Minister declares a war on floppy discs.” The Digital Agency will alter those rules so you can utilize the internet.

The News in Detail

According to a report by BBC News, Japan’s digital minister wants to do away with floppy disks.
Taro Kano announced via Twitter that rules would be amended to allow the usage of online services.
According to the BBC, a government committee discovered 1,900 procedures where businesses are still required to use floppy disks.
After a government committee discovered they were still being used to submit applications and other paperwork in roughly 2,000 cases, Japan declared war on antiquated tech solutions including floppy disks and CDs, according to BBC News.
Despite the availability of much more practical options in recent years, Taro Kano, Japan’s digital minister, criticized their continued use. This week, Kano tweeted that the Japanese Digital Agency would be changing the rules to allow the use of contemporary web services.
According to an IBM report, the floppy disk was created in 1971 and rose to prominence as the primary method for storing, exchanging, and running programs in the 1980s. In the 2000s, storage disks were gradually replaced by CDs, DVDs, and eventually USB sticks.
According to the BBC, despite developing innovations like the compact disc, Japan hasn’t fully embraced antiquated office solutions from the past due to a lack of digital literacy, conservative outlooks, and bureaucratic culture.

Taro Kano’s comments: what was he saying?

At a news conference this week, Kano said, “I’m aiming to do rid of the fax machine, and I still want to do that,” according to the BBC. He questioned, “Where does one even buy a floppy disk these days?”
Not only Japan, but other nations have recently demanded an end to the usage of antiquated technology in their workplaces. After it was discovered that the federal government was utilizing more than 900 fax machines, Germany announced plans to discontinue using them last year, according to Politico.
The epidemic revealed how many areas of Germany’s healthcare system still handle and communicate data via faxes, printed spreadsheets, and handwritten lists, according to DW.
Businesses in the nation still require those outdated little pieces of plastic to comply with numerous regulatory obligations.

Kono has also declared “war” on CD-Roms, MiniDiscs, and floppy disks—remember those?

At a news conference in Tokyo, Mr. Kono stated, “We will be evaluating these procedures. Kono has been vocal about his dislike of the Hanko seal, an official seal that is used to sign contracts and documents, as well as the outdated fax machine that is a staple in many Japanese government offices, since 2021, when he served as the minister of administrative reform. He gave government ministries the go-ahead to stop requiring Hanko for several papers, such as tax returns and year-end adjustments. However, fax machines and Hanko seals are still utilized in numerous government buildings all around Japan.
Kono stated that in addition to the floppy disk, he also wants to do away with CDs and tiny disks.

Where can one even purchase a floppy disk nowadays?

He then promised to get rid of the fax machine to make sure everyone knew he was serious.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, according to Mr. Kono, has pledged his unwavering support.
When it comes to storing data in a format that is convenient to save and transfer between PCs, floppies were formerly regarded as one of the most essential peripherals for computer users and offices around the world.
Every computer has to include an “A-drive” to manage the 2 billion that were sold globally in 1998.
The tiny beauties could hold up to 80kb of data, which eventually increased to a staggering 1.44MB.
Let’s just say that things have advanced a little. In 2011, the Japanese tech firm Sony discontinued making floppy disks after 30 years.
They are now solely used as the digital save icon on the majority of applications and, sporadically, as novelty drink coasters in cafes with a retro aesthetic.

Let’s define floppy disks

The floppy disk is an old-fashioned, removable storage device that was used in the past to store data and programs on computers. Though they have been replaced by CDs or DVDs for storing digital information, some people still use them because of their convenience when transferring files between devices such as USB sticks
Foldables disks can also be found preserved within vintage video games where it acts like a save button allowing you to resume your game at any time even if something happens during gameplay that causes interruption – usually due to player suicide!

The disk, which was first created by IBM, can only hold about 800 KB of data, or about 0.0008 GB. To put that into perspective, modern hard drives can store up to 20 TB of data (20,000 GB). The early floppy disks were around 8 inches long and cumbersome to store since they were readily contaminated. To solve the problem, a team at IBM created 3.5–5.5 inch, more manageable floppy disks.

The introduction of the floppy disk in the 1970s was hailed as a major technological advance. People could now transfer information simply as the personal computer became more widely available. Floppy disks could be used to store documents and access them from another computer.
Floppy disks, however, became obsolete in most parts of the world with the development of CDs, pen drives, and eventually the cloud. By 2011, no more floppy disks were produced.

Why japan has declared war on old-fashioned tech?

A committee discovered over 1,900 federal and ministerial clauses mandating the use of particular storage technologies, such as floppy disks, for various applications and the retention of data.
The good news for IT departments worldwide is that the country’s minister of digital affairs has vowed to bring everything online.
At a press conference earlier this week, Kono stated, “We will be investigating these procedures rapidly,” adding that he has the backing of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
However, other government officials have strongly disagreed with Kono, arguing that the floppy provides a level of protection and legitimacy that an email just cannot, according to The Guardian.
Minister Taro Kono has promised to amend restrictions to allow people to use online services instead of obsolete physical media.

Recycle Floppy Disk

Floppy disks can be recycled because they’re usually manufactured and made of highly recyclable materials. These include stainless steel or adhesive rings with plastics wrapped around them in addition to metal coated by iron oxide on its surface; all these things make up for a durable package that won’t break easily when thrown away after usage is over so long as there’s no contamination from dirt inside your recycling bin! For more such updates read here.