I stumbled across one of those 'chest' threads at CGSociety a couple of days ago. I don't even think Poser was the initial focus though it and oddly, Vue were mentioned as mentioned. The consensus was that there was nothing wrong with using them or anything else short of piracy to get the job done. The only caveat was that prospective pros should learn to do things the old fashioned way first.

I've come to the conclusion that most of the carping doesn't come from real professionals. They're too pragmatic and too busy getting the job done. They don't have the time or the inclination to argue about this application or that one. Perhaps that should be food for thought here - you don't have to be a pro. 

"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." - H. L. Mencken