IBM 5155 analogue display fault

[Tony Duell]

> 
> On Tue, 31 May 2005, Randy McLaughlin wrote:
> 
> > Many PC boards have had mods that are later reversed.  Anyone looking at the
> > repaired boards can see that it was done to put the board back to the
> > original state, the same can not be said if a screw is replaced.
> 
> I'm assuimg the context here is that the modifications are being done by
> the archivist (if not then someone is mixing their arguments).
> 

I think that a museum or other true archivist should do only those 
modifications and replace only those parts necessary to keep the machine 
operational, and then the replacement parts should be clearly 
identifyable as such. This would seem to agree with what is done to other 
mechancial artefacts in museums (e.g. clocks). 

However I am not an archivist, nor do I claim to be one (and nor, to be 
honest are many of the people on this list). I use my machines. I 
therefore feel it's reasoable to make modifications to make them more 
useable.

However, I make those modifications as reversable as possible (I would 
rather not cut a PCB track, but sometimes there is no other way, for 
example). And I don't make them if I don't have to (which is what this 
darn thread started off about).

-tony