Yes, that’s the way I see it. Silver is a better conductor so there will be slightly less arcing, but when the arcs come, silver evaporates more than copper. The problem isn’t solved, it’s shifted.

Best guess at the moment is that silver plating is doing another job – it will smooth over the surfaces of the cathodes, which have developed a few surface features from arc erosion which then act as foci for more arcs.

It’s a stop gap solution until the tungsten arrives.