Wholly agree. With todays cameras there's not a whole lot you have to do if you're set in auto, even the white balance does not have to touched as the camera will do it for you.
Our local pest control agent is a photographer by trade and actually has worked for many companies and he said even with all the years' experience that he has had with film cameras the 'rules of photography' are still the same regardless of digital or film cameras.
He just adapted what he knows onto digital - at least now he says that there's no more developing and wasting zillions of rolls of film to acquire a handful of useable shots!
Even depth of view, white balance, ISO, F.stops - he said it's all relative even today - it's just that the digital cameras set in auto do it for you BUT if you use M modes then the operator has to work most of it out - he said that's where the experience is gained, taking notes of the different shots you've taken and in what settings you had the camera in.
Could not agree more.
MIke