Re: should lack of knowledge about an existing thread be tolerated in the forum?
This topic has been discussed before 
For example: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5462762.0
But all kidding aside, it's a grey area... Sometimes i start a topic that was *allmost* identical to an existing one (a prime example would be your topic and the link i posted... they are similar but not identical), or where the existing topic was last used several years ago (and necroposting is still discouraged)... Sometimes i use the search function but use "wrong" search parameters...
For example: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=5462762.0
But all kidding aside, it's a grey area... Sometimes i start a topic that was *allmost* identical to an existing one (a prime example would be your topic and the link i posted... they are similar but not identical), or where the existing topic was last used several years ago (and necroposting is still discouraged)... Sometimes i use the search function but use "wrong" search parameters...
This happened to me about two weeks ago. I asked a question about the error message that pops up after a user tries to access a topic that has been deleted. I want to know if there are sections on the forum that were restricted to users or if it was something the admins would do in the future. I didn't know something similar had been discussed some years ago but it wasn't identical. And even if I had used the search bar, I would not have found it.
-snip-
Yes, we are all human. Last week I translated a topic that had been already translated before. The most serious thing about the case is that I had replied to that translation and merited it not so long ago. Human attention and memory are limited, regardless of your rank.
On the other hand, although I also find reading topics that were discussed before a bit discouraging, if it was a long time ago I also think it can be positive because it promotes the activity in the forum. We should We should strive to continue to maintain high standards here, but I don't know to what extent perfection is incompatible with attracting new members interested in learning; so, although some topics are repeated from time to time, that also helps maintain a balance between excellence and dynamism in bitcointalk.