Good points. Every newbie should definetly take a look at them. And yeah it might be better for some newbies to just post and contribute but I think we got some hidden gems(new users) aswell that are certainly capable of posting a good thread.

One if the things you already mention is keeping the thread active. Personally I aim to reply to every post in the thread I have made because first of all I think its the polite thing to do. How would you feel if you asked someones opinion/advice and he took the time to respond only to get ignored. Further to your points I think its a virtue if you can acknowledge the fact that you are not going to know it all. The thing is, even if you're the biggest Crypto Expert YOU know, there are going to be things you know very little about. And if someone asks im going to be honest and say:''I dont know.''. Instead of making up an answer and I think admitting to the world and yourself that you dont know is a virtue and not a lot of people do.