HackerNews' Freelancing Thread: Is it good for new web devs?

HackerNews is a reddit-like site for developers. Every month, they host a thread called “Freelancer? Seeking Freelancer?” in which users are welcome to post freelance gigs they need to find developers for or their own profiles as freelancers in hopes of getting contracted by someone.

I’m looking at the thread through the lens of a new-ish web developer. Is this something you should be paying attention to? If you do devote time to it, what’s the most effective way to use it?