Wow, I feel lucky to have missed all the drama. I started digital scrapbooking a few years ago, but due to work commitments at the time, I didn't really do very much and definitely didn't follow the scrapbooking sites or forums. I really just got back into digital scrapbooking just a few months ago.
I think SSD has an awesome gallery. SSD fits my scrapbooking style the best. There's actually a variety of styles here and I love that the designers here are so different from each other, yet work together so well. I have discovered other designers here due to collaborations that the SSD designers occasionally do with artists from other shops or who are independent. Also, I'll discover new artists when I look through the gallery and see an SSD designer's creation with a non-SSD template or an SSD template with another artist's elements and papers. At the end of the day, SSD is my favorite shop and if and when I do shop elsewhere, I like to find papers, elements or templates that are compatible.
What I really love about it here is that the designers are soooo responsive. If someone asks for a themed kit, the designers here really do respond. (A bunch of us asked for a Desert Southwest kit a couple months ago and Eva, Meghan and Misty created a breathtaking set of papers, elements and alphas not long afterwards.) So if it isn't in the shop, they will make it happen if they can.
Also, the forums here are so active and helpful!