...and the other day, there were at least a half-dozen active threads @$!# about retiree benefits, but nobody seemed to mind.
Honestly, there's little activity on BC -- usually less than a page's worth in this forum on a daily basis. If something doesn't interest you, it's easy to ignore & skip it. Some of the threads you're referring to have legitimate questions... people would get equally upset if they bumped 6-year-old threads to ask them.
I participate on another forum where moderators actively merge threads to maintain continuity. It's not uncommon for threads to reach 200 pages and be active for years. I no longer read or participate there since most of the time I'm using my phone.