I've adopted the same concept as well, although through various mechanics. Basically, you want to capture your insights/documentation in the repo so any future model provider can continue the work.
Majority will only care about getting outcomes asap so they'll skip this step, but it may come to roost when migrating workflows. A good simple test is how easily you can switch workflow to a different model provider/harness without much effort.
I'm saddened to learn that it is no longer opened to the public, but wanted to say thank you for sharing these photos. It makes me want to learn more about our industry's history.
What a truly handsome set of machines and I hope they find their way to another venue or become accessible to the public once more.