I’ve never used MATE - almost always been an XFCE guy since I got serious about Linux.
It was sort of an accident. After a while of using Ubuntu in a VM (including a weird IceWM stint), I tried installing Debian on an old laptop I had sitting around. The first attempt, where I tried KDE, something went wrong with the Network Manager install. At this point, I can never know what went wrong - it’s been years All I know is that I chose XFCE on the second attempt and didn’t have the problems, likely due to coincidence. Still, I stick with XFCE out of satisfaction.
(Starts Daystrom Institute post on how US OSHA became UE OSHA became UFP OSHA)
Also, half-dead macrovirus infected with a worm put in charge of Starfleet Medical.