Why start a new thread if the old one covers the topic well enough?

Clarity of context and content. I'm not the only one that gets confused by the sudden appearance of decades old discussions with new replies.

Forums in general have bs double standards on that. Everyone wants you to search first for older theads, but if you actually do it, you're bashed for being a necromancer.[/quote]
Creating a new thread linking to the old one is a great way of both being clear in the aforementioned context and content, and encouraging posters to think if they have a legitimately interesting discussion to spark instead of yet another assine +1 tacked on in the most confusing manner possible. Given that the original thread usually died for a good reason (if only lack of interest), this is an important consideration.

Don't make new threads that cover old topics.[/quote]
Of course, some subjects just aren't worth continuing. It doesn't matter if it's 100 threads about C++ vs C#, or a 200 page thread about the same. Everything that can be said has been said 100 times over, and the thread instigators aren't bringing a damn thing to the table.

However, nobody's going to complain if you breathe new life about an interesting old topic by creating a new thread with new insights, linking to the old one. At least not here, nor any other competently managed forum (with a possible exception of a few oddballs who may actually prefer such discussions to take place as necroposting.)

But no, "new insights" doesn't include yet another C++ vs C# benchmark

[quote name='Daaark' timestamp='1302993128' post='4799282']
Why start a new thread if the old one covers the topic well enough?

Clarity of context and content. I'm not the only one that gets confused by the sudden appearance of decades old discussions with new replies.
[/quote]
The reason I'm against it is because often people who were discussing in year old threads aren't active anymore. If you have a question you want to ask one of the posters and they've been gone for 2 years it doesn't help anyone and their last-active date is usually not something you check all the time.

I agree on making a post referencing an old thread if you have questions not answered. Then people are at least aware of the fact that the thread being looked at is over a year old.

Forums in general have bs double standards on that. Everyone wants you to search first for older theads, but if you actually do it, you're bashed for being a necromancer.

Agreed.

I thought this was going to be about zombies.

Agreed.

I noticed it when they switched forums. i think when they switched the old archived topics got unarchived and you could start posting to them again.

15 posts and I still don't know what exactly this thread is supposed to be about.

15 posts and I still don't know what exactly this thread is supposed to be about.

It's about resurrecting old threads/topics. Also known as necro-posting. It's a little strange to see an old topic suddenly jump into the Active Topics list when it was started several years ago and no one has posted in it in a long time.