ANSI standards for sale

[Alex Eisenhut]

I wonder why so many quite old ANSI standards are available for free download from the NIST website, I mean check this out, here's ANSI X3.122

https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/Legacy/FIPS/fipspub128.pdf

But not X3.125 that details 5.25" floppy disc track widths, etc. Naturally I asked the NIST and they told me that specific document doesn't "fall under their purview". 

I found it in physical format at a local university but they say they don't lend out standards.

I only ended up in the library after fruitless internet searches and inter-library loan requests (all denied).

So anyway ANSI still sells X3.125

https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/incits/ansix31251985r1996

I think they quoted me 60$. That's like 59$ more than my interest in floppy specs. 

But then I found this

https://www.docubays.org/search?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=x3.125&submit_search=

Is this legit?

If I go back to the university, to use their photocopier I have to buy a card since I'm not a student,      , I can only copy 15% of the spec,  , etc.

So 11$ is about the limit but is this weird site legit?

This is just another one of my bizarre quixotic deep dives into digital uselessness. Eh, it's a hobby.

[CatalinaWOW]

Take your phone to the library and feel like a cold war spy as you photograph the pages one by one.  If you are feeling bold bring a piece of plate glass (tempered of course) to lay on the document and flatten the pages.

[PlainName]

Is this legit?

Does seem a very strange site - no company info, help, FAQ, nothing. But... scammers would surely have made sure to put that stuff in even if it's fake, so probably not a scamming site and just want to be anonymous when the lawsuits arrive at the hosting company.

[EPAIII]

I can understand how the standards organizations have to have some way to pay for the process of arriving at and publishing the standards. But the prices seem to be way out of line with what should be charged. And some standards are published in other documents that are not under the control of the standards organization(s). Some are even freely available on-line.

[PlainName]

Some are even freely available on-line

Nothing to stop anyone searching for those and downloading them if found. If you went to the trouble of creating a website, paying for  hosting, spending your time searching out standards and packaging them for other people to download, you'd run out of money and willpower fairly soon. I think that you wouldn't be paying for the standards from this website, but for the convenience of having them made available and deliverable.

[amyk]

Unless you're after the ANSI standard in particular, I believe the same content is in ECMA-78 and a few of the other ECMA standards (freely downloadable from their site.)

[PlainName]

Perhaps a better site might be just a list of alternative names for the standards!

[Alex Eisenhut]

Unless you're after the ANSI standard in particular, I believe the same content is in ECMA-78 and a few of the other ECMA standards (freely downloadable from their site.)

Whoah. [insert Keanu Reeves memegif]

Thanks, I need the older 48 TPI standard, but I will now search ECMA. But I can't find any reference to 48 TPI media there. Apparently they are withdrawn.

These international standards bodies are not something I'm familiar with, there are so many.

But it's awesome to have this alternative source if I ever need it. I might for the weird 100 TPI drive I have here.

OTOH my local provincial library just let me know that they managed to do an inter-library loan for the X3 stuff! Only "on site" reference but I can sit down with them.

[Sal Ammoniac]

Take your phone to the library and feel like a cold war spy as you photograph the pages one by one.  If you are feeling bold bring a piece of plate glass (tempered of course) to lay on the document and flatten the pages.

To do this right you need a Minox camera.

[amyk]

Thanks, I need the older 48 TPI standard, but I will now search ECMA. But I can't find any reference to 48 TPI media there. Apparently they are withdrawn.

That's because ECMA is European and thus, Metric. I think you're looking for ECMA-70.

But it's awesome to have this alternative source if I ever need it. I might for the weird 100 TPI drive I have here.

It doesn't seem like 100 TPI was ever standardised.

[MrMobodies]

I have found some stuff but I am not sure if it would be any use.
I came across this one at first about the scsi 3 protocol:
https://www.t10.org/ftp/x3t9.2/document.91/91-013r3.pdf

But then I discovered that the download path above is browseable and there's more in there:
https://www.t10.org/ftp/x3t9.2/