Remember when you’d save your school assignment in a clunky Microsoft Word document, pop it onto a floppy disk, and present it the next day with a complimentary papier mache diorama and projector slide show? Well, those days are sadly gone, and now kids don’t even know what the ‘save’ icon is.
Twitter users were both shook and triggered today when a young Microsoft Excel user asked, “Why is the SAVE ICON a ‘Vending Machine w/ a Beverage dispensed?”
Umm, hello!!! IT’S A FLOPPY DISK!?
In reaction to the shocking discovery, one Twitter user asked, “Would a 10 y/o in 2019 even know what a VHS tape is at this point, much less a floppy disk?” And it’s a very valid question.
For those who also thought the ‘save’ icon was a vending machine, the floppy disc – AKA my primary school love – was a form of data storage used from the mid-1970s until the first years of the 21st century when the USB came into play.
Sadly, even the humble USB is a rarity, with most of our data and important digital items now simply saved in the ubiquitous ‘cloud’ or on mammoth hard drives. During today’s Twitter debate over the icon, one user posted another valid point: “A better question would be, ‘Why is there a ‘save’ button?’” And yet again, I’m searching for answers.
The ‘save’ icon does feel a little outdated considering there have been so many technological advancements over the past 50 years, but it’s our only remaining artifact of the floppy disk and therefore we should protect it at ALL costs.