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1. Embed this notice
   Tom (tired of the computer) (masklayer@slime.global)'s status on Wednesday, 22-Apr-2026 00:01:32 JST Tom (tired of the computer)

   Practical information security

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Wednesday, 22-Apr-2026 01:35:44 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • Burger B Burger

     @burger @masklayer The only good flash drives fit 80% inside the USB A slot so they're not a giant lever sticking out the side of your laptop about to pry the port off the motherboard if you make the slightest wrong move.

     If they were USB C, they'd have to be outside, and while USB C is designed not to ruin the host's port when it breaks, you'd ruin the drive and have to pay thousands to recover your data.

     USB C should only be used with detachable cables (because they're designed to break first so the device doesn't). Never with a builtin connector.

   • Embed this notice
     Burger B Burger (burger@social.burgeronthe.net)'s status on Wednesday, 22-Apr-2026 01:35:48 JST Burger B Burger

     in reply to

     @masklayer@slime.global I genuinely wonder, why are USB C flash drives so uncommon? Now that I think about it I have never seen a USB C flash drive. Ever.

   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Wednesday, 22-Apr-2026 01:58:05 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • LisPi
     • Burger B Burger

     @lispi314 @masklayer @burger For USB A, I highly prefer 90° cables that badely stick out of the port and have the strain relief to the side parallel to the wall of the device they're plugged into.

   • Embed this notice
     LisPi (lispi314@udongein.xyz)'s status on Wednesday, 22-Apr-2026 01:58:06 JST LisPi

     in reply to

     • Rich Felker
     • Burger B Burger
     @dalias @burger @masklayer Generally one should always use such cables if it's an option, for exactly that reason.
   • Embed this notice
     Rich Felker (dalias@hachyderm.io)'s status on Wednesday, 22-Apr-2026 20:31:44 JST Rich Felker

     in reply to

     • Khleedril
     • Burger B Burger

     @khleedril @burger @masklayer What I was trying to get at is that I think flash drives that break when you bump them would be a customer-angering, high-returns, low-review-score product because of this. And this is probably why they're not more common.

   • Embed this notice
     Khleedril (khleedril@cyberplace.social)'s status on Wednesday, 22-Apr-2026 20:31:46 JST Khleedril

     in reply to

     • Rich Felker
     • Burger B Burger

     @dalias @burger @masklayer I don't disagree with you, but then I don't care about this non-issue. If I could get USB-C memory sticks I would.

     I would also note that all the cables I have have 'sticks' at each end which protrude rigidly from the laptop.