I can see the angle you're taking but I think you're taking it more in the position of someone who wants to view great art rather than someone who wants to train photographers. The thing is if the site is about learning and furthering photographers then we are always going to focus upon training photographers. Part of that core training at its onset is learning the technical. Yes those technically perfect artistically dull photos are artistically boring - yes they will bore the heck out of someone who wants to view art. But those are just the kinds of photos beginners need to learn to take. They need to learn how to take them so that when they come to the artistic elements they can control the camera not be controlled and constrained by it and the "brain" inside the camera.
They also need to be able to control it from another aspect, self confidence. If they lack the self confidence in the tools that they have and in their own ability to control them it could very well give them a great underestimation of their own ability and also their potential. Indeed they might come to think that each scene; each situation can only be viewed in a very limited number of ways (or even a single way) because of the nature of how not having the experience to technically control the tool leaves them at the mercy of the cameras unchanging auto mind
and much of this is reflected on how people view a photo for C&C. whats one of the FIRST questions people ask when they start nitpicking a photo thats been posted? "what mode did you shoot in?" the answer varies as to the degree of the shooters knowledge, experience, or level of laziness for that particular shot. And when the Exif data is viewed, or the OP says it, and the answer is *GASP* the dreaded Program Mode...or even aperture or shutter priority, the topic almost always immediately shifts from actual C&C of the picture to "you need to learn to shoot manual!" now, neither I, nor anyone else here i think, is denying the sheer usefulness of learning how to use your camera in manual. However, I do think that as an amateur photographer, it matters less in the beginning HOW you took the shot, and more that you TOOK the shot. Like any hobby, dancing, painting, photography....as you advance from the just interested stages, into amateur, hobbyist, serious hobbyist, and so on, your level of knowledge should increase as well.
of course a Pro should know the technical aspects of their trade. that should be expected. and of course we should encourage all levels of photography enthusiasts to learn the exposure triangle, and how to control lighting...but it should be done from the photographers level, and their pace. not everyone has the same learning curve, and to think that everyone can read a book, or a website, and jump right in to pro level settings is unrealistic. when your kid paints you a picture at school, do you put it on your fridge and praise them? Or do you tell them how they should have scumbled more, or used more glazing, or less brush blending? People should be encouraged to branch out from whatever mode they are using when they have reached the limit of what that mode can do for them. they should WANT to move on to higher techniques because they have reached a plateau and have the desire to do more with the equipment they have, and are comfortable with using the "other" modes. NOT because someone online is telling them that using something besides manual mode is a cop out. I absolutely believe that if you want to be even remotely serious about photography, then you should learn to shoot in manual. I just think the way we sometimes go about "encouraging" that trend gets a little skewed, almost to the point of "manual mode fanaticism"
