4

, 67 questions:

For questions about audio cassette tape, as used for computer data storage.

Many 1970s-era personal computers used audio cassettes for data storage. Some early software was sold and distributed on cassette.

, 24 questions:

for questions about the magnetic tape storage format

Magnetic tape data storage is a system for storing digital information on magnetic tape using digital recording.

There are 5 questions with both tags.

Questions about s seem to use and interchangeably: 3 and 5, respectively. A quick survey of the 15 most recent questions with these tags:

has it hasn't
I guessed yes 10 1
I guessed no 0 4
has it hasn't
I guessed yes 6 1
I guessed no 0 8

While I mostly guessed right, my procedure for guessing looked like:

With the exception of questions, all four of which are , this distinction feels arbitrary to me. Where the distinction matters, makes it.

Is the distinction between these tags useful?

  • If so, we should update the tag wikis to explain it.
  • If not, what should the combined tag be called?
2
  • 1
    I suppose cassette-tape would not be appropriate for open-reel tape drives…
    – user3840170
    Commented Jul 17, 2022 at 15:21
  • @user3840170 There's a bit of a difference, then. Am I right in saying that cassette-tape is a subset of magnetic-tape?
    – wizzwizz4 Mod
    Commented Jul 17, 2022 at 15:25

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
5

It seems the tags are simply being misused.

Cassette tape refers to the Philips Compact Cassette standard form factor used for audio etc. That should remain.

Magnetic tape could cover anything from Sinclair Phloopy tapes to the great spinning reels seen on 60s mainframes. Using both tags on a post is superfluous.

You also have Cartridge Tapes which could cover Dec's TKxx range or Iomega's PC offerings. They deserve their own tag.

Using a tape tag and a floppy tag on rhe same question is just plain wrong, unless the question asks about some comparison.

The distinction between the tags is not only useful, it is essential.

I would suggest a tag cleanup exercise. The tags we have work if correctly applied. We may need to create one or two more tags but not necessarily. I see no need for synonyms at this time.

5
  • How would you suggest improving the tag wikis?
    – wizzwizz4 Mod
    Commented Jul 18, 2022 at 13:45
  • 2
    @wizzwizz4, I would suggest expanding them, adding cross-references. I'm hospital visiting for a few days with only sporadic phone access, but I'll happily have a go at them later in the week.
    – Chenmunka Mod
    Commented Jul 18, 2022 at 16:13
  • 2
    Isn't VHS a cassette tape?
    – user3840170
    Commented Jul 20, 2022 at 15:04
  • 1
    @user3840170: Yes, so are the Olympus microcassettes used in dictaphones and old Epson handheld computers. We have to be careful with wording.
    – Chenmunka Mod
    Commented Jul 20, 2022 at 17:16
  • I would consider micro-cassettes the cassette tape, but not Video-cassettes, or other cassette based tape drives. In the end the separation is more between home computer type media (cassette-tape) and magnetic tape storage in general (magnetic-tape).
    – Raffzahn
    Commented Sep 8, 2022 at 15:34

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