Don, I feel you're just being argumentative.

I think I agree with almost everything you said, and I don't think the essay disputes it.

Of course we WANT photos to be real photography, and real photographic images are unique. I think I say with reasonably clarity that what we WANT as photographers is somewhat besides the point. I like all those things too, but that only means that people doing photography are doing it for the photographic process -- the hobby and craft part. But for all those commercial photographers, all those people making a living from photography with paying clients -- few of those clients give a damn about our artistic process, they want what they want and getting that from pure photography is going to be increasingly disappearing. If you can make an image from the computer efficiently, creatively, affordably, the only time someone would want the "old way" is that they want it that way - where the process matters. But that will only be for a small group compared to the enormous demand for illustrations and images in the commercial world. In a way I'm glad.

Listen, I am an advocate for photography and I well understand why it's special and desirable. I have one of the largest collections of 20th century photography in the US, believe me, I get it. But we are the exception. Our love for the photographic process only makes us artists, and probably increasingly quaint.