COMPUTERS AND MAGNETS by Editor, SLKUG, July 1987 (Magnets near computers can create sad problems) A recently hired steno was duly to operate the desk-top computer and the word processor with it. She had been assigned to work in this nice office cubicle with sound absorbent walls and tidy- looking metal posts, and a carpeted floor. Really nice. After about a week, she reported to her supervisor that she had a defective batch of floppy disks. Wanting to investigate before complaining, her supervisor looked at the workplace. She was asked how she worked with the disks, and she responded that she wanted to make sure that they wouldn't get damaged when they were out of the computer so she hung them up on the wall out of harm's way or so she said. The problem was that she chose to hang them up on the metal post with kitchen magnets she had brought from home for the purpose! The magnets were wiping out the data on the disks! It is safe to assume that the trainers now include a comment about NOT HANGING UP FLOPPY DISKS WITH MAGNETS. ALSO RELATED TO MAGNETIC PERSONALITIES I messed up a disk a few years ago by a paper clip. No, I didn't paper-clip a disk to correspondence. This clip was UNDER three layers of paper on my desk at home. It had been magnetized by the magnetic paper clip dispenser. Needless to say, I no longer have that paper clip holder, nor do I use paper clips around my computer or floppy disks. MORAL OF THE TALE: Keep magnets away from your computer. This includes speakers in radios and tape recorders. Your monitor could be radiating enough to damage a disk, too. Of course, the metal cabinet Kaypro models are well shielded and the metal will protect your disks, but the PCs with the external monitor may not be perfectly shielded. Can you afford to lose data? And then there are the paper clips. If you must use paper clips, use those which are all-plastic, not just plastic covered. The wire may have been magnetized. Keep paper clips away from your disks unless you enjoy suffering the woes of lost data files. REMEMBER, THE DATA YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN.