Ubuntu desktop is Ubuntu desktop, not Gnome desktop.

It uses Gnome but it isn't Gnome.

I am pretty convinced that coding my handwriting could be considered a one-way hash; there is no way to decipher what the hell I was trying to say when reading it.

Ubuntu is a classic distro, meaning hard-to-automate for deployments with invitation to buy services for that purpose, so offer no advantage in stability and reliability compared to modern declarative distros like NixOS or Guix System with their essentially read-only system, easy custom deploy and replication, easy rebuild, as a fresh install every time, easily poor man IllumOS Boot Environments with their linked generations.

"Normal users", meaning non tech-savvy ones are Windows or OSX targets, because with Ubuntu they still need to use a terminal a bit more than Microsoft/Apple stuff, and they still have to deploy their own systems. For a bit more "power users" having to manually deploy an official ISO than customize it or keep it up polluted, an update at a time, is a NIGHTMARE. Try to upgrade a normal Ubuntu for few releases and you'll see things breaking, you fix the manually augmented the entropy. With a declarative distro any updated inter-release and cross-release is a fresh install out of your config, no forgotten fixes/hacks no leftovers.

Those who claim Ubuntu as stable are stuck in a far past, before declarative distros exists.

No way. Flatpaks are clearly represented in the software shops of their adopted distros (I use Fedora and Pop!_OS, both of which use Flatpak).

From the software shop GUI, I can choose flatpak or dnf/apt from the dropdown. From the command-line, flatpak has its own commands (vs. apt silent under-the-hood behavior).

Flatpak is better than Snap. I use Flatpak for commercial software (Discord, Steam, etc.), but it remains my choice as a user.

Sorry but... At the Unity (WM) time Ubuntu was the distro able to satisfy both end users and techies, adopting Gnome SHell they already say "we are like others", than pushing CRAP like snap have completed the game. Back than Ubuntu have ceased to be interested for anyone with a bit of competence and have started to be annoying for generic users.

NixOS today is not in an excellent shape, but is the go-to distro of any tech savvy, Arch have intercepted old-schools users locked in a far past, Guix System try to thrive, Ubuntu now is on par of classic RH in crappiness and commercial conduct.

Does Canonical push their changes upstream to Debian?

I dunno, still do not get the value of LTS Ubuntu, when Debian is almost exactly same in terms of user experience.

I know it’s a small thing, but does it put that ~/snap dir in my home directory still?