this post was submitted on 23 Aug 2024

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I was gifted an unopened pack of 3.5" floppy disks. What should I do with them? (wrong answers only) (feddit.org)

submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by superkret@feddit.org to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

224 comments fedilink hide all child comments

I wonder what "limited lifetime warranty" means.

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[–] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 235 points 4 months ago (14 children)

Pick some friends that you like
Download "I Am Never Going To Give You Up" by Rick Roll
Put the song on the disk in very low quality .mp3
Give the disks away as "fun, retro" drink coasters
Watch as they use the coasters, unaware that you Rick Rollered them

[–] superkret@feddit.org 101 points 4 months ago (3 children)

this...is a great idea!
Especially since I have friends who will go to some effort to find out what's on the disk out of curiosity.

[–] kat_angstrom@lemmy.world 58 points 4 months ago

Lol whoops, I meant to give a wrong answer, my bad

[–] Blizzard@lemmy.zip 39 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Make sure to name the file inconspicuously but temptingly, relating to the old days, like Bill Gates confession.mp3 or DJ Mike Llama - Llama Whippin' Intro.mp3

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[–] MrGerrit@feddit.nl 58 points 4 months ago

Rick rollercoastered.

[–] ThePantser@lemmy.world 35 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Poor Mr. Astley, forever known as Mr. Roll

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[–] SzethFriendOfNimi@lemmy.world 32 points 4 months ago

Make sure to use this version of the song

Floppy Disks - Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley

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[–] Hello_there@fedia.io 196 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Label in sharpie as "Bitcoin password" and superglue to the sidewalk in a busy area. Watch people try to pick up.

[–] circuscritic@lemmy.ca 54 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (3 children)

This is 98% the right answer, but you drop them somewhere that keeps them intact, and believable enough so that people take them, and spend the rest of the weekend going to thrift stores trying to find an external floppy drive, and the next month trying to figure out how to get their iPhone to mount it.

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[–] dessalines@lemmy.ml 18 points 4 months ago

Alternatively, you could write

"Someone help me I'm trapped in here!"
"Nuclear attack scenarios"
"You put this disk here to save your life, do not ignore"

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[–] AndrewZabar@lemmy.world 111 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Dude. RAID.

[–] moody@lemmings.world 41 points 4 months ago (5 children)

https://hackaday.com/2022/06/30/its-raid-with-floppy-drives/

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[–] Philote@lemmy.ml 93 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Click on them to save your files.

[–] ValiantDust@feddit.org 46 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (2 children)

Just carry one around with you and whenever something important happens or you are about to do something risky, pull it out, press it with your finger and loudly say "Save".

Edit: Bonus points for carrying a huge cardboard mouse pointer to click with.

Edit 2: I really should read all the replies before starting to type.

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[–] seaQueue@lemmy.world 75 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Download a car

[–] BigDaddySlim@lemmy.world 18 points 4 months ago

You wouldn't dare

[–] TheyHaveNoName@beehaw.org 65 points 4 months ago

Label one “Important Documents” and then attach it to your refrigerator door using a fridge magnet

[–] theVerdantOrange@reddthat.com 58 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Sell them as 3D printed save icons.

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[–] vext01@lemmy.sdf.org 56 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Carry one in your pocket so you can whip it out in a threatening gesture... like in the film hackers

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[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 48 points 4 months ago (5 children)

Thank them for the retro-themed coaster set

[–] superkret@feddit.org 76 points 4 months ago (3 children)

"Omg, you 3D-printed a save icon!"

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[–] BrazenSigilos@ttrpg.network 47 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Get a few suitcases at Goodwill or something, stick a floppy and some 'redacted' papers in a red envelope, leave them in random places around town and observe what happens. Make sure to wear a trench coat and sunglasses when you 'forget' them at each drop point.

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[–] Hupf@feddit.org 47 points 4 months ago

Contact TDK about extending that limited lifetime warranty.

[–] pulverizedcoccyx@lemmy.ca 44 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Whatever you do, as soon as you crack it open get your nose right up there and inhale deeply.

[–] AndrewZabar@lemmy.world 21 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Aaahhhhhhhh the aroma of 1995.

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[–] zagaberoo@beehaw.org 43 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Combine them into a blazing fast 14.4 MB RAID 0.

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[–] Mwa@thelemmy.club 42 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

Floppy disks are a way to install linux on your microwave try a distro like arch linux it's microwave safe

[–] tektite@slrpnk.net 25 points 4 months ago

I cook Arch btw

ding!

[–] resin85@lemmy.ca 38 points 4 months ago (4 children)

Load virus on to banking system to embezzle fraction of cents on each financial operation.

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[–] jinarched@lemm.ee 33 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Put all your precious documents on the disks and then rub a magnet on each one of them to make sure they are properly energized. The stronger the magnet the better.

[–] lengau@midwest.social 29 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Hand them to zoomers as 3d printed save buttons

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[–] ICastFist@programming.dev 27 points 4 months ago

Write your own copy of Windows 10, minus the bloat. You'll probably have 2 floppies left

With those in hand, start waving them around maniacally and shout "WHY IS IT CALLED A FLOPPY IF IT'S SO DAMN HARD!?"

[–] iamjackflack@lemm.ee 27 points 4 months ago

Start a porn collection of high quality pictures. Be sure to zip span them across all disks… all 1 photo

[–] hsfn@lemmy.world 26 points 4 months ago (3 children)

Put a 240p rick and roll video inside and write cryptic labels on them. Spread them around the city and rest knowing that someone is going to go through hoops only to get Rick rolled.

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[–] gens@programming.dev 26 points 4 months ago (1 children)

USS Enterprise

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[–] DarkDarkHouse@lemmy.sdf.org 25 points 4 months ago (7 children)

Pirate Windows 95

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[–] spacemanspiffy@lemmy.world 24 points 4 months ago (2 children)

Split up something like Puppy or Damn Small Linux across them all.

Build a PC with 15-20 floppy drives and insert and mount them all.

Boot Linux off of all the floppies.

[–] SkaveRat@discuss.tchncs.de 25 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Build a PC with 15-20 floppy drives and insert and mount them all.

10 floppy drive raid, please. don't want to lose that critical data

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[–] Roopappy@lemmy.ml 23 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Several years ago, I found a 3.5" floppy in an old desk, so I wrote "(My company's product) Production backup - DO NOT LOSE" on the label, and then left it on the floor in a main hallway of our office.

In my mind, it hopefully made a few people chuckle, but my real dream was that someone picked it up and tried to return it to the development team.

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[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 21 points 4 months ago

Lan party coasters

[–] ulterno@lemmy.kde.social 21 points 4 months ago

[–] IrateAnteater@sh.itjust.works 19 points 4 months ago

World's best swap drive.

[–] i_stole_ur_taco@lemmy.ca 18 points 4 months ago

When Windows 95 was still sold on floppy, it came on 25 fucking floppies in the box.

So I say put Windows 38 on them.

[–] 58008@lemmy.world 17 points 4 months ago (1 children)

Coasters for a DnD night!

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[–] ____@infosec.pub 17 points 4 months ago

Sell them to someone who will test and resell them to the airline or medical industry... Manufacturing is a likely customer as well, plenty of legacy equipment there that's airgapped and still running decades-old hw/sw.

Youtube warning, some Boeing 747s

Recent BBC article

(This is a wrong answer since you only have a single pack. If you had several cases, you might actually be able to make a buck)