We link to the older threads not to be rude but because we see the threads as a respository for later research. "It's been discussed before" is usually meant as an encouragement to dig for gold, not as a dismissal. In my case I don;t usually have the time these days to go dig it up for someone-- but Mudcat searching has never been easier or more rewarding, as site features have imporved, so I expect people to do for themselves what many of us did in our day when we first came here. This isn't Google or an instant-help-desk; it's a preserved yet dynamic collection of contributions.

~Susan