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.

Well, to be honest, people who have never programmed before shouldn't be in a CS stream. That's like deciding you want to be a callgirl when you're still a virgin.

Not that I mind. Java syntax is simple enough, but the language is fugly. How it ever got mindshare is quite beyond me.

If I were the designer of a language like Java, I'd be embarrassed to put my name on it. I don't know what Gosling is thinking.