I have a question for my fellow members of the Cartographers' Guild: are there rules, or is there a commonly accepted etiquette, regarding starting new threads?

I am aware that every time a thread is started, the forums become just a bit more congested, and presumably, the website becomes just a bit more difficult to maintain. This is the first website forum I've ever been a part of (albeit for a few years) and I often stop myself from starting threads by asking 'does this thread really need to be added?' (and I note the irony of starting a thread to ask this question).

So, can anyone explain what is considered good form in starting threads? (I would also like the ask the same question regarding uploading files, or linking to other websites)

THW