My mother always told me "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all". I think it applies well here. If you can't contribute an answer to the newbie question, just stay out of the thread until someone comes along that can and is motivated to do so. Rants are always best ignored, unless they contain a question that can be constructively answered while ignoring the rest.
Note: No one is perfect, and I don't claim to have always followed my own advice.
