@Jeffro - Kind of agree with you on this point. I see potentially three kinds of users of WordPress.

1) Small-scale users who prefer going the shared hosting route like HG or BH and for whom the auto-update is actually a good feature to ensure that they are always running the best and latest version of WordPress

2) Users on WPEngine and other managed WordPress hosts who don't have the time or the intention of managing their WordPress installs. That's the reason they pay the managed host to do so.

3) Other users like me who have their own VPS or servers, are comfortable tinkering with WordPress and would prefer the freedom of their own installs and not the restrictions put in place by a managed WordPress host.

For me personally, the updates are a good thing. I monitor my sites daily for any updates and usually put them through immediately. The auto-update ensures I save a bit of time doing that.