Factory classes

Can somebody explain what are factory classes good for? As in, "why all this shit"? I have the impression factory classes are yet another suit in the Emperor's wardrobe. To me, they always looked like some bored programmer who needs to keep his job and hates the KISS principle decided to make our lives worse.

And now for the real big question......

How can a place full of DQNs know so much more and be more sensible than the enterprise eggheads populating places like java.net? It's mind boggling! Could /prog really be some soopa-secret hideout? Stay tuned, next week, for...uh...something!

Maybe because far, far, FAR too many people skip the whole learn step.