I propose that today everyone go search for a really old thread and try to revive it by adding some relevant information. Try to find a thread that is at least a couple years old and either solve the problem or describe how Unity updates have solved the problem and made the world a better place. Also, add a link to the thread here!
My first and immediate search was for "make mmo". That was immensely over-populated and after 25 whole pages nothing older than a few days was showing. So I skipped it. BUT! I found this looking for "thread locked", although the subject had little to do with my search keywords. http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/3771-Unity-looks-great.-Too-bad....?highlight=thread+locked Obviously Unity is Windows-compatible since some time but here are some 'fond' (?) memories.
Most dead threads are dead for a reason. How about not encouraging people to revive them and push today's topics off the front page?
I don't complain too much when I see thread necro from newbies because it means at LEAST they are using the search feature. That is surely not a bad thing.
I'm one of those guys that thinks threads don't 'go old'. If a thread is irrelevant it's probably because it was so from the very beginning, no matter how old it is! Also, if it's outdated info, it might be outdated for some, but others might have not noticed it in time, and could be glad they catched the news later, or maybe they could take the opportunity to add something to the thread that didn't realize before! We tend to think everything gets old; food gets old, clothes get old, cars get old, everything material gets old; heck, even ourselves get old! And we assume there's a time for everything to be thrown away. Psychologically we apply the same reasoning to pretty much everything, even with abstract concepts, like threads, or information. All in all, I don't see what's the fuzz about adding comments on old threads. Some people treat old threads as if they're food past its expiration date. Lets say a guy comments on a conversation that's from 10 years ago, what's the big deal? If what he posted is uninteresting, it'll go by unnoticed, just as any irrelevant thread, old OR new. Unless a guy is spamming, and single handedly bringing over and over the same thread that no one cares about, then it shouldn't be a concern... I mean, if there's two or three guys talking over an old topic, I say it's pretty much what the forum was meant for... which is discussing things.
If people have something to add, then add it. Bringing them back under stupid pretenses is not really different than spamming and it still drops threads which should be on the front because they are actually relevant.
I agree an uninteresting thread shouldn't be brought back to the top. And if that's done over and over, then that's spamming. Otherwise, if a guy makes an uninteresting one single comment over an old thread, I don't think that's spamming, he's just a boring guy, not his fault! lol But if a thread is interesting, and people have something interesting to add, what does it matter when they do it? I guess my point is ... Irrelevant = Bad ... but Old != Irrelevant