I am also an XFCE on Linux Mint person.

I used Unity for years. It and gnome get the job done, but aren't my favorite. Vanilla xfce is awful, but can be alright with some tweaks. Mate is alright and has it's place, but I choose kde plasma when I can.

Thanks for the article. One day I'll perhaps open a computer again.

I use Xfce, with as few bells and whistles as possible. I'm less thrilled with eyecandy than I am functionality. I've got the bottom panel set to always visible, and the top panel autohides, which I basically use as a way to get to frequently used programs.

I use Kubuntu 18 or 19 which ever is easily upgrade too. For me the only requirement is the use of Apt-get or Apt, which is the tool used to upgrade the system as a whole. Everything else just works, and almost everything is free to use and further develop. One has the source code so if you want to do something or improve an application you use there is the means to do this and the documentation to do this.

It is strictly a personal choice and there is no best except to the individual. I personally have chosen Ubuntu Mate 18.04.4 LTS 64 Bit as my Linux Distro and use the Redmond Desktop which places the panel at the bottom. Your mileage may vary.