I too am a new to Linux person. I started with mint, as the most like what I'm used to. I like seeing that there are options I might like better, along with why I, personally, might prefer them. as well as why mint didn't rate high. and I like that it's not just spitting out the creator's favorite distro.

some people get decision paralysis, i get your recommendation. but you'll also lose some people if you just give them the Linux that's easiest and closest to what they already know, instead of highlighting how it's flexible and customizable. we need both methods of recommending a distro.

there's plenty of beginner guides telling me to start with mint. I like this picker that considers my interests. looks like I might be trying OpenSuse in the future.