Even so, that’s just general online etiquette. It really doesn’t take long to check the date on the last reply, and even if it is “good information” the very nature of an MMO means that info is going to be outdated in about a year if it sits in the bowels of the forums for long enough.
And yes, I think they’d prefer the fresh topic, especially considering that the US WoW forums seem to be the only damn place within the Blizzard forum ecosystem that doesn’t implement an automatic lock after a topic has been inactive for two months.
Look mate, I’ve got no skin in this game. If you want to respond to stuff that’s nearly a year old, then by all means do so. Just be aware that much of the info is likely out of date at that point, and be prepared to get called out on it as the act floods the top of the forum with old and irrelevant topics while pushing newer ones down lower. I think THAT’S the thing that makes folks take exception with the act more than anything else.