Well, here's my $.02 as a new brewer (8.5 gallons in various stages of 'brew'..still haven't tased a drop).
My 1 gallon AG batch, which was to get my feet wet, fermented nicely in a gallon glass jug with stopper, plenty of activity, its carbing in bottles, I think it all went well, no OG reading though. It was stored between 65 and 67 degrees. Pitched around 75.
My 5 gallon batch, partial mash, Midwest Irish Stout extract kit, but I added 1 lb of 6 row (ordered 2 row, got 6 row), and one lb of oats, and mashed the grains instead of steeping, and did an early addition of the LME, This one had almost NO airlock activity in my bucket with airlock. After 3 days I noticed a krausen ring, and took a hydro reading since I was concerned, and (I know I pitched way too warm, probably 87ish) it Dropped from 1.055 to 1.023, left it in my basement at 62 degrees. for 10 more days, it looked done.
I moved it upstairs to the 65-67 range, and took a reading after a few day, and it dropped to 1.0205, and noticed some fine bubbles at the surface, so 16 days into the batch, its still going, probably bottle this weekend. (tasted good).
My 2.5 gallon AG, made up recipe for a blonde/cream ale (which is probably too high in flaked maize but we'll see), was an OG of about 1.041, and I pitched the WB-06 yeast at 75 ish, and it fermented nicely for 6 days with activity through a blow off tube, after it slowed I switched to the airlock and its almost done, but I can see bubbles still rising in the better bottle.
Basically, my take away is I've seen the 'leaky bucket no airlock activity' thing first hand, and as a new brewer it was scary (its why I picked 3gal clear bottles for future AG's so I can see the bubbles). But all 3 batches seem healthy and are "beer". Not sure how my super corny cream ale is gonna taste, but it sure looks nice.
CLIFF NOTES : Worried new brewers, you will find comfort using clear fermentation vessels with stoppers and blow offs...Non worried brewers, buckets make more beer.