Where do you guys get all this fud from I use a customized Gnome DE their is so much that can be done by the user.
I think 6 months for a extension between updates is a good deal for the user, Unlike KDE, Cinnamon, with a million plasmoids, widgets, etc not sorted into version numbers that only a couple are working.
As for customizing well Cinnamon looks like windows what ever you do with it.
XFCE is customizable,
Budgie no way,
Deepin is broken by design, Mate well Gnome 2 long out of date,
So we are left with KDE, aka win 95 again its the most limited as no matter what you do it looks like KDE aka win95.
If you really want to customise install JWM and write your own themes any way you want.