Look, you can turn it around a thousand times in every directions, it still doesn't change the fact that ship interiors is a popular feature that a lot of people wants.
Sure this forum, reddit and youtube whatever other platforms does not represent every single person that is playing the game, but when you have hundreds and hundreds of posts and thousand of replies, big polls, youtube videos, streams, comments and so on and so on about it, with an important players reaction, then it definitely mean something, no matter what.
I would say even more than most games communities since Elite is niche and a simulation, and because of how the game works and how it was made on certain aspects (easier to do certain things by using fanmade ressources and websites, asking on the forum/reddit) there is a lot of players actually involved in the community outside of 'just playing' the game, I'd say, a big portion even.
Hell, who remembers during Odyssey beta the exobiology minigame crazy outburst (had it's main thread IIRC) a lot of people, and I mean a lot, were not happy because it was not good and boring and made very little sense, I shared that same opinion.
Then, how many people, seriously, I mean how many including myself gave great ideas on how to improve it and make it engaging.
What happened? The devs straight out removed the f**king thing and never to be talked again lmao
Just to say my point is; while the forum alone does not represent everybody, our voices and feedback, ideas and whatnot actually do matter and is great importance, and FDEV knows that.. well.. doesn't always go our way but oh well, it makes a difference at least.
