The only automated mode I ever use is Aperture Priority
mode. And that's mainly as a convenience because I'm left
handed and it's difficult to manipulate the 4-way switch
on the back of my digi-cam with my right thumb (I'm always
changing the wrong setting, etc.). I don't think I've ever
even tried most of the automatic modes that my camera has.
Most of them just set the camera to typical settings for
a certain type of shot (e.g. Landscape Mode just stops
down the aperture all the way to f8 and locks focus on
infinity), and I can do that myself easily enough.

I learned on a totally manual 35mm SLR, and have started
using it again. It's much easier for me to handle the
very traditionally layed-out SLR than the little digi-cam,
but I'd love to find an SLR that's layed-out for left
handed people.