I've been roamin' with the GNOMEies for a decade now - ever since I started using Linux with Ubuntu. Right now I have GNOME in Stretch on my Thinkpad and Ubuntu 18.04 in Virtual Box.
I have plenty of reasons to switch away though:
- The default desktop sucks. It's like using Windows 8 for a new user.
- Certain components like GDM are buggy.
- Right now there is a massive memory leak and it isn't getting fixed anytime soon.
- The memory footprint is yuge compared with just about anything else - even without the leak.
- GNOME developers specialize in customizing the user to the desktop rather than vice-versa.
- MATE - Ubuntu's flavor is awesome.
- Plasma - it never has looked better or been easier to use.
- Cinnamon - a new user's dream and it just keeps getting better.
- Xfce - a bit old but very customizable and lightweight - MX Linux has made it beautiful.
- LX** - the lightweight champion.
- Not to mention Budgie, Enlightenment and all the ultra-lightweight window managers.
- GNOME is the default for many mainstream distros like Debian, Fedora and now Ubuntu (again.) It must have something going for it.
- With some minor tweaking I can get GNOME to look right and work right for me.
- Maybe I just like hitting my head with a brick. It feels so nice when I stop.