I joined the Ubuntu MATE community later in the game, sometime late 2024, after spending the previous 1-1.5 yrs learning lots about Linux, distro-hopping every couple of weeks to a month, and going through the path that all the Linux YouTubers told me is the “natural progression” of gaining Linux experience – start with something Ubuntu-based or Linux mint, then “graduate” in progression until you reach Arch Linux and a tiling window manager. This was fun, but after running it on the daily, it wasn’t for me, and by happenstance I found Ubuntu MATE.
Not only did I fall in love with the distro, but I fell in love with the community, and it just wasn’t a “group of people that could help with questions”. This space feels more like a local pub, where sure you can ask for help, but you can chat, discuss, share ideas, even about tech-related things outside of the sphere of Ubuntu or MATE, over a “brew of yerba mate” (I recall learning about Metallica, car parts, and other interesting things from this site).
I still have interest in other distros and try them out from time to time (openSUSE Leap being my latest endeavour of checking out), but I haven’t gone very long since that time in 2024 where Ubuntu MATE hasn’t been installed somewhere on my digital ecosystem, either on one of my computers, or a virtual machine. Heck, I need something to do during the winter that keeps my mind engaged and the blood flowing, and distro-hopping is an easy way to kill some time! 
What we had here was special.
I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the maintainers of the distro, the moderators of this forum, and everyone who made this ecosystem possible. You guys are a wonderful group of people and kept things in line, with the flexibility to not seem too “rigid” or “on-topic” to allow for great learning experiences and new connections.
And to the users, every experience on here has been nothing short of amazing, given that it is an Internet forum! It is very rare to hop on here and, every time, if I need a helping hand or want to add my two cents about something, it was met with kindness and an eagerness to engage. Thank you!
I have an account on the Ubuntu forums and will continue to be around over there from time to time. I hope to see as many of you as possible over there! I will also continue to be around the openSUSE world, in case anyone else “double-dips” like me.
Take care everyone! Cheers,
Jaymo