I actually don't have a problem with this. I've long since trained myself to check the date in all circumstances when I'm looking at something online. My main complaint is when something on the web doesn't have a date (or it just has month and day but no year), how do we push guidelines out to all web publishers?

> how do we push guidelines out to all web publishers?

By setting an example wherever we go. Be the change, that you want to see on the web.

If it's old, but of current interest, who cares much about the date? If it's old and not of current interest, don't link it here.

It's not "old is bad," but "avoiding unnecessary confusion is good."

The date is information. More info = good in this case.