There is nothing worse then logging onto a site and seeing a contest advertised for July 1997 when it is August 1999. The strength of the Internet is its currency and freshness . The best information is current and new. Six months is old. My home page and most pages in my site are regularly refreshed and are free of nitty gritty code.
Experience teaches that simplicity, persistence and know-how are the keys to improved rankings.
Remember that the web is a big place and growing at an exponential rate. It is important to stay on top of your game.