BB> most do nowdays.   Someof the early blanks, and I suspect those
 BB> old 'gold' ones that Fry's used to sell, have only a very thin
 BB> layer of protection on the top and that is at risk.

 JN>  Has anyone thought of putting the label on the back side
 JN>  and removing all doubt about damaging the media side?

Umm, not sure what you're talking about here?  The side away from the label 
has to be clear so as to allow the laser to read the stuff.  If you're 
talking about the 'top' of the disk, that's the problem area.  The 
reflective layer is right at the 'top' of the disk -and if you honk up that 
layer the disk is dead!   Early makers just used a very thin layer of 
protective coating over this reflective layer and if you used a ink that 
desolved this thin layer, the disk was a dead dodo.  Later the makers 
decided beef up this top layer, some even adding a layer of what appears to 
be almost like a paint on the top.  Point is the disk is really at risk 
from the top side, not the bottom side - that's the thick plastic and 
unless you really scar that side up really bad, the disk can still be read. 
Lose the top reflective and forget it!  



 
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