Plain and simple autos are a waste of time and money. 18/6-24 to achieve maximum yield on an auto costs more money all while most likely being less potent. You can grow 12/12 from seed and get a pretty decent yield in maybe 2-3 weeks longer and not have your plants crossed with something that's basically garbage. This saves money while providing better results. This is why people say to disregard. Because people who are growing autos solely are not really using their heads. This is additional wear and tear on equipment and everything else on top of having shit genetics mixed in.
I've grown and smoked a few autos when I started, because I listened to bad advice from people spreading this auto bullshit. If you can't grow a normal cannabis plant you can't grow and autoflowering plant, shit's not that fuckin hard and they aren't that fucking different as far as ease of grow goes. A noob can kill an auto the same way they can kill a regular photoperiod plant.
i agree with most of that, i have never grown an auto when i get them as freebies i throw them away
but i can see they could be useful for outdoor growers in colder climates that wish to flower the plant during summer
rather than autumn ,
or folk can put them in their mother rooms/tents etc and they can flower along side mother plants
i have heard of some growers buying auto clones already in flower
i think some newbies are lead to believe that fem autos are easier and you cant stress them into hermies as they do not need a dark period etc
many newbies being obsessed with hermies and stress go for these autos thinking they the safer option to start with
peace