to say autoflowers produce bad weed, merc, commerical or just plain ghetto trash weed is ignorant.
i suppose every hobby will have elitist who only grow the best strains, play the best games, does the best things and so on..
i have an autoflower bubblelicious and just 2 days shy of 14 days is already smelling better than any weed i've ever smoked in my life.
Well, sorry to come off as a weed snob.
I just think that if you're taking the risk of sending cash through the mail for illegal seeds (at least here in the U.S.) you should go for the best that you can afford. Autoflowering strains are not one them. Clearly.
If you think your weed is dank, imagine how much better if would be if it were crossed with proven cannabis cup winners, instead of ruderalis.
Naturally, you'll have those few exceptions to the rule--some ruderalis hybrids exhibit only the flowering properties of ruderalis, and the potency/yield of a powerful strain. The best of both worlds. But genetics on the whole are tricky and unpredictable. Why play around?
Why not go with the strains that have been proven to produce excellent buds, and learn to to manage your plants and your lighting cycle? Learn how to grow the best? Or better....
If you are one of the lucky ones who have found an excellent autoflowering strain, then good for you! You are the minority. An overwhelming majority of people ,however, can tell you that they are not worth the time. It's unfortunate that marketing leads new growers to think otherwise.