[Lil' Lavery]

When used effectively, autonomous has the potential to be more important than it ever has been in 2007. It also more challenging.
A KEEPER IS NOT WORTH 2 POINTS. IT DOUBLES THE SCORE OF THE ROW(s)
Thus, a keeper is worth, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24, 32....128, 132 points depending on the configuration it is in. Tell me any other game where scoring in autonomous could earn you 132 points. In addition, they also mitigate the damage that spoilers can deal to a row. Imagine you have a row of 7. A spoiler to the middle turns it into two rows of 8, or 16 points. A keeper in the middle guarantees at least 20 points after the spoiler. Now imagine the amazing scenario of having the middle 3 spots of that row filled by keepers, you'd be guaranteed at least 34 points after the spoiler (more than a ramp). The same bonus for multiple keepers can be applied to the scoring bonuses. Two keepers QUADRUPLES the value of the row. Three would be almost crippling if the other alliance can't make an amazing comeback.
As for the "double ringer value" suggestion. Think of what happens when 2 or 3 keepers are scored. 3 keepers in a row of 8 would make it worth a row of 11, or 2048 points. That's a tad bit too much (as if 512 wasn't).
Boiled down to the simplest form, autonomous represents 15 seconds of additional time. That's 12.5% of the time spent during operator control, and the length of the end game period. To suggest that 12.5% additional scoring time is useless and not worth the reward is ludicrous. Especially given the exponential scoring system, autonomous is very important. The importance is magnified when multiple keepers can be scored.
At GLR, 1114 won or tied (the tie resulted from a electrical failure resulting in a penalty) their first 10 matches. They scored a keeper in their first 10 matches. They failed to score a keeper in their 11th and 12th match. They lost their 11th and 12th match. Coincidence? Maybe, but it certainly played a role.