I'm willing to bet none of the people 'bashing' Elite hate the game. If they hated the game, they wouldn't be wasting their time here. I hate Dark Souls with a passion, but you don't see me badmouthing it on its subreddit or whatever. I certainly don't take the time to give it some actual constructive criticism and offer suggestions and opinions on how it can be improved.
For the record, i love Elite for what it is. The flight model is fantastic, art direction and audio are, for me, up there with the best in the business. Combat is great, the lore, mysteries and storylines greatly interest me (even if they are slow as molasses in treacle). The sense of scale is unparalleled, planet landings are genuinely impressive, and i know this is a minority opinion, but i really appreciate Engineers. I'll say it again, i love Elite Dangerous
This is why i'm so disappointed with the direction the game has gone in.