Oh wow. I didn't notice that. When I visit PerlMonks website, I usually just click on the "Recent Threads" link at the top and see what's new. This thread appeared at the very top which is why I assumed it was new.
Comment on Re^3: Do we ever want to freeze threads?
The title of the page it takes you to is the slightly more verbose "Recently Active Threads". This thread has been recently active but it is far from being new. It is a subtle but occasionally important distinction.