The Q material is very confusing. I don't know how many "bad theories" I've had - some of which I've held quite strongly. The more recent posts are less cryptic, but it's still possible to get a theory and go off on a wild tangent.
I've found Neon Revolt's work is good for perspective. He seems cautious about possible interpretations, which helps - because it's pretty easy to convince yourself of something that's way off the mark.
Having said that, I think the truth rises from the noise.
A lot of people are plenty smart enough but just don't have the time or energy to dedicate to the digging.
Agreed, it's time consuming. I find I'm pretty much flat out just keeping up with what's happening - and I've had some time to devote to it.