Let me throw my two cents in for hydro's corner.
First, let me say that I don't feel hydro is better than soil. Instead, I think both methods have their pluses and minuses, and it really depends on the pace of growing that's right for the individual grower. Sleezy here has really good reasons for growing in soil, so it works well for him. And it is my opinion that bud well grown in soil has a more natural flavor and smell than hydro grown.
With hydro it's true that you're more at the mercy of technology, BUT (and here's the hydro cheerleading part), if maintained poperly, a good hydro system will grow significantly larger, stronger plants in less than half the time. You really see it in veg. Vegetative growth equal to a over a month in soil will take two weeks in my system, and my two week old plant looks hella stronger than the five week old plant in soil. Yield per plant is consequently far greater with hydro as well.
So yes, if you fuck up your numbers in any way, your plants will suffer quickly in hydro, but the other side of that coin is that any remedy will take effect just as fast. And in hydro, if you make a mistake, it shows up right away, allowing the corrective measures take effect almost before your eyes. With soil, everything moves slower, so if you fuck up, you may not even realize it for days and any remedy you apply is equally slow.
I have the automation dialed in to be completely self-regulating, so I can take a weekend trip, too. But most hydro growers don't have all my bells and whistles.