There is another way to use the archives besides just searching. Go to the bottom of a page, and click on "Archive". This takes you to a list of the forums where you can access everything that has ever been posted on this site.
When I first came to this site and discovered the archives, I selected forums that were most interesting to me and from them selected threads relevant to my interests. It took a little while to go through a particular forum but I learned a lot. This is good way to learn the knowledge and experiences of the seasoned members who are no longer posting, and means one is less likely to ask a question that has been asked over and over. I bet few are aware of this archive use, or bother to do it.