Each to their own.
*here's that story again* - I once designed a full logbook for a seriously expensive car-manufacturer, completely in Microsoft Publisher, because that's how they wanted it.
Here's the rub, nobody would ever tell by looking at the logbook, or the PDF (besides hidden metadata) what the publishing tool was to create the artwork.
I always say, who cares what you created it in, as long as it works and as long as it is right.
I often seen tutorials online (there was even one posted here on the forums last week that I deleted) showing you how to design a poster in photoshop - and it's not that it can't be done - it can most certainly be done - but these tutorials lack basics knowledge, file sizes, resolutions, export formats, print knowledge (bleed, crop marks, transparency, vector vs raster, or even use of vector shape layers etc).
I could design a poster in Photoshop - and it would look great and be printable at any size - because I know how.
But just because you know how to do something doesn't mean you should do that - I know how to get to 200kmh in my car - but I'm not going to do that because it is not safe, plus I am better off using a Lamborghini or another class of vehicle than my Nissan Note.
Quark aggressive with their marketing? Absolutely, as are Adobe, and Affinity, and whoever else I signed up to.
I had to send an email to a company (who shall remain nameless) to remove me from their email blasts as I was getting one every 6 hours and just told them I wasn't interested.
Actually, I find the marketing strategy quite aggressive, that's why I use a fake email address to sign up for things so my own proper email doesn't get clogged up. I also read the T&C's.
I had to fight with Adobe to remove the mandatory download of (I think it was) AVG as part of the download for Acrobat Reader. It was insane.
Thankfully, I am an ACP (Adobe Community Professional) and I had reach to the hierarchy at the Adobe website.
By lord - read those T&Cs and make sure to untick 3rd party and newsletters!