Darren Hobbs 

@dkh@infosec.exchange
38 Followers
231 Following
538 Posts
Network Operations Analyst for a National Telecom | Blue Team | CTF | Wannabe Threat Hunter | Dad | Husband | Army Veteran | He/Him
Bloghttps://darrenkhobbs.com
Twitter/Xhttps://x.com/darrenkhobbs
LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenkhobbs/
Darren Hobbs 20h ago

For those who celebrate, It's Friday Bitches!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=725FqPT_xxI

Timmy Trumpet, Blinkie - Friday ft. Bright Sparks (Official Video)

YouTube
Darren Hobbs 20h ago
And this morning's adventure is waiting around at the shop for hours while my car gets new brakes.
Darren Hobbs 5d ago

I love that I can turn off Siri by saying "go away." She cheerfully responds "OK" and turns off.

Although, she gets offended if I tell her to "fuck off". Heh.

Darren Hobbs 6d ago
Honest question for those of you who use Chrome over Firefox, or some other. Why? What is it that you get out of Chrome that others don't have?
Darren Hobbs 6d ago
BillJul 5

You know what?

I really wasn't into it this year.

Darren Hobbs Jun 30
Any other Americans just not feeling the 4th this year? I normally work anyway, because I can't pass up the overtime, but I normally at least go through the motions. The way things are right now I just can't stomach the 1000% markup on fireworks for a few minutes of sparks. (In my state, all we are allowed is sparklers, fountains, etc.)
Darren Hobbs Jun 28
PastaThiefJan 17, 2023
Boost if you're old enough to know why I have one of these on my computer desk.
Darren Hobbs Jun 25
ElizabethJun 25
I did it.
I *fucking* did it!
I replaced Windows with Debian  
Darren Hobbs Jun 19
“Draw me like one of your French girls.”
Darren Hobbs Jun 13

Crap. I'm in a pretty good mood today. Great. You know what that means.

Beware the Fuckening.

×
PastaThiefJan 17, 2023
Boost if you're old enough to know why I have one of these on my computer desk.
Show threadDan QJan 17, 2023
@PastaThief sometimes 720k just isn't enough!
Show threadAbieJun 28
@PastaThief oooof. Never saw any uned but I can guess :)
Show threadMaster of CrevettesJun 28
@temptoetiam @PastaThief (I have one for binders, and my dad used to own the specific one used for horse races betting cards)
Show threadAbieJun 28
@MaitreCrevettes @PastaThief I suspect it was used here to punch holes in punchcards computer programs, but I might be wrong.
Show threadBernd HerdJun 28

@temptoetiam @MaitreCrevettes @PastaThief Maybe you had a single-sided 5 1/4" floppy drive and you punched a second hole in your floppies to be able to use the backside by placing them rotated in your floppy drive.

I did that in 1982 or so.

Single sided, 34 tracks, single density were about 80 KByte capacity per side. I still have that drive in my cellar.

Show threadMaster of CrevettesJun 28

@temptoetiam @PastaThief obviously.

(Note that some knitting machine also ran on punch cards, so you can find such items in knitting tools on Etsy I guess, though they are probably different because you punch in the middle of the card, not only on the sides like this one or the "pince à tiercé")

Show threadMaster of CrevettesJun 28

@temptoetiam @PastaThief ohlalalala 😍

https://www.reddit.com/r/specializedtools/s/W6FBBYtjQW

Show threadPastaThiefJun 29
@MaitreCrevettes @temptoetiam I actually used them mostly with floppy disks, although you could use them with punch cards, yes. :) A friend of mine actually operated a Jacquard Loom for demonstrations at the local at the local science centre for a time! (I don't know if she's still doing that.)
Show threadPastaThiefJun 29
@temptoetiam @MaitreCrevettes There are those who used them for that; I used them for making 5.25" floppies double-sided. :)
Show threadMaster of CrevettesJun 29
@PastaThief @temptoetiam trust us both to read all the comments to your post. We both live in *that* corner of the fediverse, and Abie has a thing for finding the best oddities.
Show threadKen ButlerJun 28
@MaitreCrevettes @temptoetiam @PastaThief betting shops used to have floors "carpeted" with losing betting slips. I suppose that's all on phones these days.
Show threadKevin P. FlemingJun 28
@PastaThief PROTIP: These don't work on SSDs.
Show threadHdunaganJun 28
@kevin @PastaThief Best post of the week.
Show threadBillJun 28
@kevin @PastaThief Underrated comment of the day.
Show threadJim FlanaganJul 4
@kevin @PastaThief you have to squeeze real hard
Show threadHdunaganJun 28
@PastaThief I know what it is, but I keep three three-version on MY computer desk.
Show threadadorfer🔜 BornHackJun 28
@PastaThief i was never fan of GCR. For MFM drives (of shugart flavor) you could not operate without the index pulse.
So we opened the sleeves, removed the media and drilled that 2nd index hole.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Group_coded_recording
Group coded recording - Wikipedia

Show threadzipkid - Breaker of SystemsJun 28
@PastaThief Like the little wad of paper to push in the hole in the side of the cassette tape :-)
Show threadMichael WeissJun 28
@zipkid @PastaThief I just used Scotch tape over the hole
Show threadCegorachJun 28
@PastaThief why you have one on your desk, now?

I have no idea... you like to feel old?
Show threadPastaThiefJun 29
@dat I mean, I still have two working 80s-era computers on my desk (an Apple IIe and an Atari 130XE).
Show threadChad McCulloughJun 28
@PastaThief Ha! I know exactly why you have one of these on your computer desk.
Show threadJon QuassJun 28
@PastaThief
Classic debugger 😂
Show threadJean-Francois MezeiJun 28
@PastaThief the holes in punched cards or paper tape were rectangular , not round. Thinking this was perhaps used to destroy floppy disks ? (Prior to the 3.5 inch ones).
Show threadOlivier AubertJun 28
@jfmezei @PastaThief not destroy: double their capacity
Show threadJean-Francois MezeiJun 28
@olivier_aubert @PastaThief ok remember now. Turn single sided to double sided. One if the corners, right?
Show threadPastaThiefJun 29
@jfmezei @olivier_aubert On the side a bit beneath the corner, but yes. :)
Show threadChris BohnJun 28
@olivier_aubert @jfmezei @PastaThief If you have poor aim, destroy
Show threadIan TurtonJun 29
@jfmezei @PastaThief paper tape used round holes
Show threadRoss of OttawaJun 28
@PastaThief in case of impromptu weddings.
Show threadUkeleleEricJun 28
@PastaThief Although it wasn't strictly necessary (punch on ticket machine), I have used one of these in the past.
Show threadDarren Hobbs Jun 28
@PastaThief Old enough, but I was fancy. I had the one made for the task.
Show threadPastaThiefJun 29
@dkh NICE!
Show threadquadrivial 💛🇺🇦🇨🇦🇲🇽Jun 28
@PastaThief takes me back to about 1984...
Show threadHdunaganJul 4
@quadrivial @PastaThief Snd I keep thinking 1984 was only a few years ago.
Show threadRené DarioJun 28
@PastaThief I do not know why.
Show threadconsiderateJun 28
@PastaThief you'll face consequences for stealing artifacts from museums! 😅
Show threadJames DonohoeJun 28

@PastaThief

My floppy of choice back in the day...when I could afford them.

Show threadPastaThiefJun 29
@JamesMDonohoe Elephant was nice, although I was a bit of a Dysan afficianado.
Show threadJames DonohoeJun 29
@PastaThief Yepper - Dysan also a fantastic choice.
Show threadMurphestophelese MurphMeisterJun 28
@PastaThief I recall punching holes in the case with one of these, in my old computers, to reduce weight, and therefore increase speed.
Show threadZenHeathenJun 28
@PastaThief
Show threadAudrey WinterJun 28
@ZenHeathen @PastaThief "So do (I) you!"
Show threadGemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐Jun 28
@PastaThief kinky!
Show threadAthena L.M.Jun 28
@PastaThief I am not old enough, but it's for making 5.25in diskettes double-sided, right?
Show threadPastaThiefJun 29
@alilly Yep!
Show threadrk: it’s hyphen-minus actuallyJun 28

@PastaThief

You can make the flip side usable or, if you’re bad enough at it, both sides unusable.

Show threadShriram KrishnamurthiJun 28
@rk I see all the references to 5.25" floppies, which I knew well, but I have never used a punch with one. What does it do with a floppy?
@PastaThief
Show threadrk: it’s hyphen-minus actuallyJun 28

@shriramk @PastaThief

http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/F/flippy.html

You could use a hole punch to make another write notch on the other side of a single-sided floppy, doubling your disk space (though at the time most drives could only read one side at a time).

Some disks were also shipped without a write notch at all, so that you couldn’t replace whatever was on them; a hole punch gave you a free reusable floppy!

flippy

Show threadRay LeeJun 28

@rk I used to own a square hole punch that had a spacer that aligned the floppy to the exact position for the hole. I was a hit at the BBS parties, let me tell ya.

@shriramk @PastaThief

Show threadrk: it’s hyphen-minus actuallyJun 28

@4raylee @shriramk @PastaThief

Don’t forget to take some Tylenol for your back.

Show threadPastaThiefJun 29
@4raylee @rk @shriramk Those were SWEET.