Quote - ...Blender is an open source 3d graphics app that was registered on source forge in August of 2007, and they already have a huge support base even though the app itself is not exactly what I consider to be user friendly, and nobody seems to bat an eye over that.

I agree with you that initially the interface was a bit daunting... and there are still aspects I find a bit unintuitive and cumbersome. However, it's all what you get used to. After a while, I was able to fly through modeling in Blender and then tried Max and found it irritating, so went back to Blender. Yes, I know, there are key features in Max that are lacking in Blender, but for the price, it is a killer app, and the interface? I love it!

Quote -
...But I guess a lot of people aren't too familiar with open source, particularly those who haven't had much experience with Linux, so I guess not much point in taking it personally.

To most people accustomed to buying software and who reckon you get what you pay for, open-source is rubbish because it's free "so something must be wrong with it." And yet, they think nothing of opening their browser (free, who actually buys a browser?) and googling (another free killer app) for stuff.

Monterey/Mint21.x/Win10 - Blender3.x - PP11.3(cm) - Musescore3.6.2

Wir sind gewohnt, daß die Menschen verhöhnen was sie nicht verstehen
[it is clear that humans have contempt for that which they do not understand] 

Metaphor of Chooks