may be a dumb questions, but why are gold plated connectors so good? coppers a better conductor than gold, so why not use copper?
The issue is more complex than that!
Gold-gold plated connections will maintain a low impedance connection for years to come provided BOTH connectors are plated with gold. This is so because gold does not oxidize.
For gold/non-gold connections the matter is reversed: the non-gold connector degrades "rapidly" because there is no protective layer developing that can prevent agressive chemicals from diffusing in along the gold boundary and oxidize the entire conductive surface and thereby cause a very poor electrical connection.
Jon
PS Despite claims to the contrary CuO2 is not a conductor!!