1. 2013 was my first camino, so I have no basis for comparison. I do kind of wonder how many really walk the camino as a cheap holiday, period. a) As already pointed out, for anyone coming from outside Europe, just getting to the starting line is not that cheap. I figure it cost me in excess of 1000 Euros just to get to SJPDP (and back home again after). b) While I imagine there are some young people who might be think of this as an adventure holiday, how many of us who have passed 40 or so really fancy spending our holidays walking 20-30 km a day and spending our evenings sleeping with a room full of strangers, just because it is relatively cheap?
2. For myself, I didn't really have any surprises in terms of what the albergue conditions would be like. So, I would think anyone who had done any reading ahead of time should have pretty realistic expectations. Actually, one of the few things I had been worried about going in, reports of beds being right next to another (so that you were basically sleeping with a complete stranger), only happened to me once in the entire camino. And honestly, after you have been walking a week or so, you really start appreciating the little things: A place to hang your clothes in the shower, having enough space between the upper and lower bunks so that you can sit up in bed (or for real luxury, no bunk beds!), adequate space to hang your clothes to dry (and a cooperative sun), etc.
I have to say, there were many albergues I stayed that some nice little bonus beyond the norm that made staying in them more pleasant. A few I remember:
a. In Sarria, the albergue I stayed in had a room with a roaring fire, and in the evening they brought shots of some local liquor for people to try.
b. The Austrian run albergue in Los Arcos has a great common room, with some tropical birds and a wall of postcards and pictures left by previous pilgrims.
c. In Villafranca Montes de Oca, there is an albergue in the back of a hotel. For 10 euros, you can stay in a very new room with no bunk beds, and little dividers that helped to create an illusion of privacy. Plus, there was wonderful bar in the back, high ceiling, stone columns, very quiet with nice blues/jazz playing, and it didn't hurt that the guy working that day, as soon as he realized I was settling in for a long visit, moved the space heater right next to me.
Anyway, there were a lot of places that something extra that I appreciated.
3. I do think that it doesn't hurt to point out to newer members the virtues of using the search engine, which can save time. However, as Falcon pointed out, it is not a perfect solution. The other thing about using the search engine, is that I think sometimes people asking questions are looking for more than the answers. I think that they are looking to have a conversation, and reading a two year old post, however accurate, doesn't work for them.