I use ghost.
a. I have been running blogs for a few years now, but just recently was happy with the feature set of Ghost.
b. I am a front-end engineer, so it made sense to find the thing that I have the most control over, as far as javascript functionality.
c. There is the new AI blogging system, but that is more of a try and walk away scenario. I would have little control, so it has no use in the long run.
d. The back-end is open source in nodeJs. This isn't necessarily the best backend language they could have used, but I know how to make changes so it is the best for me. With that, it is completely extendable. You don't like the tagging system, bring in your own. Want comments? You have like ten different pre-built options, or you can write your own with firebase or any other technology. I could go on forever, but you get the point.
e. I am not sure if I hate anything, but their default rendering/routing system is a little janky. I would prefer angular, as it has a little more finesse.
f. Not really, I had read through all of the documentation and GitHub issues before ever starting, which I would recommend doing for all technology.
It is a solid option if you have javascript experience, but there are many other options, including just writing your own. With things like loopback, and AngularJs Backbone/Marionette, and EmberJs, the ability to build something as simple as a blogging system is like a week long affair at most. Especially if you ignore things like user-defined templates, and any other feature that would make more sense in a SaaS CMS.
You can see the blog up now, if you disregard the URL. I just started a new job, and need to wait a paycheck or two to buy a new domain. It is sitting on an old one I bought for a now deceased project. http://compendiumjs.org