unpopular
Been spending a lot of time on here!
The problem is posts like the OP tend to convince the poor beginners (remember...this was posted in the beginners' forum) that they NEED to learn manual mode, that they won't get good results until they learn manual mode, and that once they do learn manual mode, their photography will instantly be better. All of those points are 100% incorrect.
When you learn to drive, you first learn the rules of the road, take a written test, and THEN get a learner's permit that allows you to actually go out on the road to practice what you've learned. What beginners need is to learn first is how to control light. Sending them into manual mode (or any mode really) without understanding light is like putting a driving student behind the wheel without knowing the rules of the road. It's going to be a disaster. Beginners need to learn how a meter works, why a meter gets fooled, and how functions of visual perception, such as Color Constancy, affect our view of the world. Only then can the camera become a real tool for producing exactly what you want.
As I said...it's knowledge that gets you the results you want. It has nothing to do with exposure modes. THAT's what's wrong with these posts that make a big deal of exposure modes.
I disagree 150%. You can't fully understand auto mode without understanding how it works and what it's doing. You can think of AE in theoretical terms, but you'll never fully appreciate what is happening unless you've actually DONE IT yourself.
For the last 30 years photography has been taught on this principle, and I firmly believe it is taught this way for a sound reason.