Good Samaritan Rule?

From: Louis Schulman <louiss_at_gate.net>
Date: Sun Jun 24 22:11:52 2001

The important thing is the enjoyment you get out of working with these
things, and how it makes you feel.

Whatever the seeming intrinsic value of these items, if any, in a
thousand years they will be dust, as will we. Therefore, it makes no
sense to worry about whether someone else approves of the way you are
doing things.

I do think that sometimes helpful advice is couched in an unnecessarily
critical tone. Most of this stuff IS just old junk; let's not get too
emotionally involved.

Unless you are destroying a true historic item, like the prototype of
the Apple I, just have fun.

Louis

On Sun, 24 Jun 2001 18:59:03 -0700, Wayne M. Smith wrote:

#There is nothing quite like thinking you are doing "a
#good thing" and being criticized for the "way" you are
#doing it. There's something inherently offensive about
#it. That's why so many states have passed so-called
#"good Samaritan" laws, which prevent lawsuits such as
#malpractice actions against doctors who stop and give
#aid to accident victims.
#
#Do the same rules apply to collecting and attempting to
#fix computer equipment?
#
#Today I posted some questions regarding an IBM S/23 I
#am trying to get working (VCF 5.0 is coming up fast).
#The 5322 unit I saved from a dumpster and found that
#the display was badly burned and feeble. A year and a
#half later I found someone who had a number of 5324
#displays that he was going to pitch. I paid to have
#one of the displays shipped from St. Loius to L.A., so
#I could swap them. I suspected that this would work
#because the IBM part nos. for the internal display unit
#were identical. Today I swapped the displays, and it
#was mostly a success. But, I think I've offended some
#of you because I have, in effect, performed surgery
#with a sledgehammer. Yet, this is the best I can do.
#Although I'm an engineer, I'm an ME and my electronics
#background is mostly directed to digital stuff. (So
#I'm not a "doctor" which perhaps destroys the "Good
#Samaritan analogy.) I don't have anything close to an
#electronics lab (nor do I know anyone local that does)
#and, aside from an EPROM burner, my most sophisticated
#equipment is a voltage meter.
#
#Should I simply not even try to do anything, lest I
#risk criticism for doing it wrong?
#
Received on Sun Jun 24 2001 - 22:11:52 BST