If you are a United States Citizen over 18 years old PLEASE make sure to check your voter registration and PLEASE vote!

I care more about functionality than superficial design. I take a similar position in media (TV & film). For example, I love Babylon 5 even though the special effects are admittedly primitive compared to modern science fiction programs. The WRITING and DIRECTION in Babylon 5 is brilliant. I can forgive something superficial if there is substance to it

The fact MATE exists is proof I am far from alone in my views. Indeed, this is one of the benefits of FLOS software. Noone is ALLOWED, for example, to create a fork of Windows XP if they want to. Microsoft would quickly stamp down and take to court any attempt to do so. But you and I can both be Linux users who prefer different GUIs. Some of this simply comes down to preference - I prefer GNOME as it was before it was ruined and that is what MATE offers me 😄

Gnome 3 got rid of desktop icons and the menu of Gnome 2, it was also a resource hog. Mate offers what I liked about Gnome 2. Sue me.

The next laptop I bought came preinstalled with Windows Vista (AKA Windows Millenium version 2). It was so frustrating I decided to investigate alternatives. I even considered going Macintosh. But I was at a bookstore and saw one of those Linux magazines with a free disc from which I could install Linux. I think it was Ubuntu on the disc (before Unity). I was hooked. I use Trisquel now.

I know this is a joke, but before I discovered GNU-Linux I used XP and didn't hate it. I was usable. Microsoft hadn't yet completely stripped away user autonomy.

I like the ones that are forks of pre-ruined Gnome. MATE is my favorite of that type.

Unfortunately, our current President seems desperate to start WW3 if it will distract people from the fact that he is one of the child abusers in the Epstein files.

You are more than welcome. When I was a teenager I was a "Born Again" Cristian. I am now an atheist. I remember when I was in that mindset, seemingly innocent things, could appear "satanic" and that the end always seemed right around the corner, making long term planning pointless

Much of the Republican party base is made up a radical fundamentalist Christians who see a war in the Middle East as being a requirement for Armageddon (which they see as a good thing). The answer to your unasked question is religion.

I was talking about Pam Bondi, not Melania

This year Florida will have a special election for the remainder of Rubio's Senate term (since he resigned to become Secretary of State). Miami, which has been a heavily Republican city in Recent decades elected a Democratic mayor in December. I think that this is concrete evidence that Flipping Florida Blue is possible if we nominate the right candidate.