Slackware, probably in 1997. My cousin lent me his copy, had like 100 floppies for the install.

I’m relatively moderate politically but certainly not anti-diversity, but as a hypothetical example, lets say you’re a new urbanist with a full on ban cars mentality, if I suggested say, daylighting intersections and offering cheap/free parking lots instead of street parking, that opinion might be downvoted to oblivion / mods may ban me because I don’t follow that orthodoxy. If you’re someone who enjoys the conversation and rebuttal portion ( I do, its something I enjoy about reddit), getting 100 people into a post who all think the same is boring as sin. Honestly, if for example on reddit, r/conservative wasn’t such an echo chamber, i’d contribute on that subreddit too just to hear difference of opinion and try to understand the logic behind certain viewpoints.

I don’t know that California is super disliked (maybe politically if you’re conservative?) - I think its among the great states in the US and while I may have some political disagreements with what California has done (Prop 13 for one has distorted the housing market despite good intentions) and it has awful mass transit and zoning, its the vast majority of the US west coast. It’s got amazing scenery, food, people, and its an economic powerhouse. I am from NY, and love NYC, but its not nearly as important to the country as California and the economic disparity between urban and rural isn’t nearly as bad as in NY state.