A memorial and a day for Read Only Memory!

Today, and June 6th annually, is ROM (as in Read Only Memory) Day ロムの日 in Japan. An acronym, I must admit, I rarely heard uttered anymore, even though ROM still plays an important role in technology. But in Japan thanks to this anniversary, it gets a mention at least once a year!

The anniversary was created by Romtech, a company based in my home prefecture of Saitama. The purpose of Rom Day is to help more people understand the importance of ROM (Read Only Memory). ROM is a type of semiconductor memory used in countless devices. Such as mobile phones, computers, home appliances, and even automobiles. 

ROM is memory that allows reading only, unlike RAM, which supports both reading and writing. Interestingly in Japan it inspired the internet slang "ROMる," which means to read without posting, in other words, to lurk in message boards! 

It fascinates me that the anniversary is also dedicated to and acts as a memorial for the unused ROMs of the world. ROMs that were manufactured but never made it into final products!