It's usually up to the originator of the post to say Hey, people, I asked a question that hasn't been answered yet. If the questioner doesn't mind, why should anyone else?
Also, sometimes people going off-topic will preface with Thread creep but this is interesting... and sometimes not. A minor sin at worst.
Also, it isn't usually, in my experience (and you do say you're new), member-bashing so much as replying-to-individual-perceived-idiocy; if there is opinion stated by one poster about another, rather than about their post, it usually stems from prior experience between those posters, a context of which a newbie would not have knowledge.
And as a final thought, when there is thread creep it is usually from a thread that is about something substantive, rather than a blanket criticism of the very group to which you are introducing yourself as a new member. Makes some wonder why join, when you can criticize just as well while lurking. You do seem to have lurked for long enough for the petty bickering we sometimes do, like all families, to bother you, but not enough for you to want to join us, so why bring it up? Norman, coordinate!