There are all kinds of people, including those kinds that just criticize everything and everyone. Then you also have people who just like feeling "better" than everyone else. These wonderful people are typically very pigheaded, and think that the only way to grow, is the way they grow. Anyone using any techniques/equipment other than what they would choose to use, is obviously stupid and deserves to have their post flamed. These egos can't stand the fact that someone else might have a better idea about doing something than their "old timer" ways, so they feel the need to debunk any new ideas that come around to threaten their tested, tried, and true methods.
Some guys, if you mention LED lighting will pipe up and say "ah, that's bullshit! Nothing beats my 1000 watt HID!" Of course, if guys like this were in charge, the progress on LED technology would come to a screeching halt tomorrow! After all, why would someone want to lower the amount of power required and heat generated? That's just stupid!
Same with autoflowers. Some guys just wanna scream "mine are bigger, so those are stupid"! As if that's the end-all be-all of pot growing. Some guys just can't accept that there may actually be a demand for a plant that flowers without light adjustment and is of small stature. You can plant 50 of these things in an open field within 10 ft of open road, and no-one will notice them. Of course, why would anyone want to do this, when they can get the same yield off 5 plants in their basement? And certainly everyone is cool with having five giant plants in the basement!
Autoflowering plants are NOT a scam. To say so would be like saying Labradoodles are a scam. They are not. They are a cross between a labrador and a poodle. Of course, if any of these critics have a labrador, I'm sure they can tell you ten reasons really quick as to why a labrador is a better breed than a labradoodle!
And don't worry about becoming a master grower. Pot is one of the easiest plants on the planet to cultivate. Anyone who tells you that you need encyclopedic knowledge in order to grow is just trying to feel good about themselves or make themselves seem smarter. A complete moron could grow just about any strain of pot. It's not rocket science, and does not require any real intellect to get into. You put the seed in the fuckin dirt. You water the fuckin thing. The fuckin thing grows. When it's done, you smoke the fuckin thing. No degree in botany required. If you wanna learn more advanced techniques, to increase yield or potency, the knowledge is there to draw from, and add to. But it's certainly no pre-requisite to getting great bud out of soil and water. All he needs are a couple of seeds.