This actually sounds like a rant more geared to the client than the photographer.

And actually, if you read all the complaints about clients, they do follow a general trend. The majority of the complaints (if not all) have to do with one thing...releasing the rights for the client to copy, display, or print their own photos. Very few times is actually about quality.

We hired a photographer for our wedding that would give us the digitals...not a wedding photographer, but a newspaper photographer. Great photos.
My friend hired me because he wanted the digitals for his wedding. Plastered all over Facebook now...instant advertising.
Another friend was completely dissatisfied with his wedding photographer because he didn't get the digitals. Think she'll get a referal?
Another friend hired me to do baby portraits because I'd give them the digitals. Again, free advertising all over facebook.
My sister-in-law stopped going to baby photographers because...guess what? They wouldn't give her the digitals.

So many photographers on here keep saying they need to "educate" their clients on copyright law and what they can and cannot do with their photos. If the client's expectations are not in-line with the photographers, maybe they're not the ones that need the education.

Btw, this isn't the first industry to have this issue. The same thing happened to the music and movie industry, and is soon to hit the book industry as well. Those that adapt quickly (like Apple and Amazon) will soar...those that live in the past (Circuit City, Blockbuster) will remain there.