I just started a toy project using S3, and at least to a novice user, it was a confusing, overwhelming array of options and linked pieces. It felt like being hit with a lot of advanced options all at once, with no obvious happy path for common cases.

I'm sure an expert finds it all very natural. Security is always hard and has to be done right the first time. That's a domain that's always going to deter novices, and perhaps the only way forward is to hire an expert to ensure you're doing the right thing.

Still... I've been programming for four decades and it felt a little odd to be quite so out of my depth. It's not the same as anything I've done before, but it felt like it shouldn't have been quite so bewildering.