Read the whole post before responding? Do you mean read each and every post in a thread completely?

I would suggest not - just view every post and try to get the jist of the points or content. I find it works overall but I have been guilty of skipping important points as well as misreading posts because of my failure to pick something up while essentially attempting to "speed read",

I have to tell you that reading someone else's 6 month old conversation is not my idea of fun. I don't feel the information is as current as it might be. And the thread drift becomes many more times as tedious and irrelevant.

I think that depends on the topic. Many musical ones (and perhaps some BS ones) remain current and appropriate in terms of replies. Thread drift: you may have a point, once a question is answered, I will happily drift (and do so at other times) but it would not work well if someone wants to add a point relevant to the original topic at a later date. Could a willingness to start another thread where to cater for the drift (when appropriate) help?

The one rule of Mudcat is that you have to wade through a lot of garbage to participate in Mudcat.

This is not true as you don't have to do anything to participate. Having said that, there is a problem and one that can only get worse in time - that is if Mudcat is seen as being a resource for the future as well as a discussion room for the present.

Perhaps the biggest failing is a common agreement or sense of direction within Mudcat.

Jon