old threads still exist, but unless you remember their exact URLs you can't go back to them.
This is by design, to avoid server traffic.
(Many have complained before and this was the answer)

Sadly, this reduces the utility of the forum.
People usually 'bump' their threads back on top by posting a dummy message.

If you remember the *exact* name of the thread, it's trivial to get it back. Just look at the URL at the top of the page when you are reading this. ;-) I think that's how the "strategery" thread keeps coming back. But, realisitcally, most people don't remember thread names exactly. It is also possible to get to Page2, Page 3, Page 4, etc of the forums (I believe) if you know the formula for those URL's, but I don't. As I said before, I would not post them here if I did. It would just cost Ryan some work to actually make them inaccessible, until he wants to being them back.

But I believe that some people *do* know the "Page N" URL's.

Only having a few threads visible is an issue if you want to post a question and don't want to push valid threads off the screen and no longer accessible, at least if you don't have it bookmarked.

For example, Has something been up with the random numbers lately???

a good solution for the traffic would be an offsite forum.

Asked Ryan about that Solitarian and he said it would be very difficult to implement user statistics and avatars etc. Logging in may be another issue. It actually is not perfect, but still works.

"For example, Has something been up with the random numbers lately??? "

No. There hasn't. Problem solved.