Things need to be simple or we won't incorporate them into ours lives. The spinning compost barrels are in my opinion just a marketing gimmick that really don't work that well.
I often look to nature for insight. If I can't find a corollary existing in nature/creation then it's probably not a good or viable idea. I mean, when was the last time you saw a spinning barrel growing in the woods? ;-)
Other than fill and empty them I do nothing to my containers except wait with patience.