CAN YOU FLIP YOUR FLOPPIES?
     by Herb Lipson, W8FBH

Ever since the 5.25-inch floppy di sk appeared on the micro- computer scene, there has been a runni ng controversy concerning those elongated elliptical slots on both sides of the disk. When disks were three to five bucks each, it made good sense to cut a notch on the opposite edge of the jacke t and use both sides of a disk to store information. Yes, I did it, and anyone who had a reason to store a large amount of data also did it. The job was made easier with a "notch punch" sold th rough magazine ads.

Soon computer magazines warned that th is procedure could damage disks and possibly read-write heads in disk drives. Worry, worry! Was it worth it to save a f ew dollars at the risk of damaging disks or heads?

THE ARGUMENT CONTINUES TODAY. Pro and con discussions are still going on. People who are opposed to using both sides of a disk throw these arguments into the ring:

(1) "Single sided" disks have not been inspected on the back side and could have flaws or rough spots. (Who Cares)

(2) Turning the disk over causes it to rotate in the opposite direction. Inside the disk jacket a lay er of material that keeps the disk surface clean takes a "set" in one direction. When the disk rotates in the opposite direction this "set" will cause undue wear on the disk.

(3) This wear will make the disk surface rough, which will affect the delicate heads in the disk drive, driving them to an early demise. (How Bout 5 Yrs on my 24 hr bbs?)

(4) Programs on the back side of the disk can be damaged if the disk is laid on a desk without a protective sleeve because it will pick up stray particles of dust, crumbs, cigarette ashes, etc.

BUT ON THE OTHER HAND.... Some of the brave souls who still punch notches and use both sides of a disk defend their actions with these reasons:

(1) No one has yet reported a disk failure when using both sides. Granted, it's a problem that MIGHT occur, but apparently it hasn't been widespread. 

(2) Of all the disk drives in use, so me use the front slot and some use the rear slot. For this reason, to make the disks usable in as many computers as possible, most manufacturers make sure that both sides of the disk are high quality, even though they are sold as single sided.

(3) The price of good quality disks has plunged to as little as 29 cents each in quantities of 100 or more! There is no longer an economic need to use both sides of a disk, except perhaps to save space in your disk file.

(4) If you've been carefully protect- ing the front side of your disks, and not paying much attention to the "unused" reverse side, you might be surprized! Apple II and Commodore disk drives record their data on the BACK side of the disk. Probably many others do, also.

 You can check it for yourself, if you wish. Use a disk with unimportant material on it. Cover the slot on the top side with a clean slip of paper and tape it in place with removable cellulose tape. This paper/tape will isolate the magnetic material from the read/write head. Insert the disk into your disk drive and boot it normally. The disk drive won't even know that the slot is covered. Do the same thing to the bottom slot. You'll get a message that your disk is defective, or some such thing.

THOSE ARE THE FACTS - MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION. If you still want to notch-and-flip your disks, be aware that there is still a question regarding the reverse rotation of the disk when it's turned over. Although there is general agreement that there probably is no real wear problem for home computer use, side- flipping several times daily in a commercial situation might not be a good idea. 

Another point: Now that you know that the reverse side of your disk is the working side, you might want to be more careful where you put it down. I keep the sleeve on top of or near the disk drive, and the disk goes from the drive to the sleeve in on motion. I shudder when I see unprotected disks lying loose on desks, collecting assorted dust fallout, no matter which side is the working side.

THE CARE AND FEEDING OF FLOPPY DISKS.
While we're discussing disks, here are a few hints for lengthening the life of your floppy disks. The material on the working surface of a disk is highly refined magnetic material. The program on the disk is nothing more than incredibly close spaced magnetic pulses. These pulses are not "added to" or "subtracted from" the surface material. Rather, they are groups of molecules aligned into magnetic "islands" which stand out magnetically from the neutral material.

There's more to it than that, but you can see that these magnetic pulses are quite delicate. The se pulses are fairly easy to arrange, therefore they can easily be rearranged by careless handling, such as:

(1) Any nearby magnetic field can disturb the pulse arrangement. We who combine our computer activities with our ham radio activities in the same room need to be especially careful. Speakers, unshielded cables, and even magnetized screwdrivers can mess up a disk. Monitors with plastic cases have magnetic fields outside the cabinet. When your disk is not in use, store it immediately.

(2) Heat increases molecular agitat- ion, which speeds degradation of magnetic alignment. Heat can also distort the disk material, changing the spacing between pulses. Keep your disks out of the sun, hot radiators, and other environment that's hotter than room temperature.

(3) Physical damage can also distort the spacing of pulses. Bumps and dents can cause the head to skip and jump. Don't write on a disk with a hard instrument. Keep your disks filed neatly. Don't leave them where objects can fall on them. Please, no coffee or coke!

(4) The surface material on a disk is fairly well protected by the jacket, except for the slots. Keep your fingers away from the slots when you handle a disk. Skin oil is deadly. Develop a habit of holding a disk by its front edge with your thumb and first two fingers. Keep fingers four and five curled into your palm. Then insert the disk immediately into the sleeve or drive. If you must munch while you're working with your computer, be especially careful to keep potato chip oil, peanut butter, chocolate goo, or cookie crumbs off the disks (and also the keyboard).

(5) Just use good ol' common sense. Disks are very fragile, yet they store every important program and irreplaceable piece of information that you and your computer have generated. Without your disks, you're sunk!