I think in such discussions, the "realism" arguments fall very short. In addition to the transfer mechanics, we have:
- FTL travel
- FTL communications
- Omniscient C&P
- Instantaneous refueling, restocking, repairing
- Zero-time cargo shifting (792t in an instant by... kryptonian Oompa-Loompas?)
- Death teleportation
- Telepresence in SLF and SRV
- Prebuilt ship deployment on-the-go
- Aether-based newtonian normal space with speed restrictions in... vacuum?
- The Armstrong Moment vs. The Concourse Run
Nothing very realistic or immersive IMHO.
OTOH, it is a very funny game, and everything up there contributes to that. Yes, even the timer for module/ship transfer, because it brings a management element to module/ship handling. I, for one, love to play with various load-outs and swapping modules back and forth among my ships, and the restrictions of transfer add to the puzzle I enjoy to solve.
The same could be argued for e.g. cargo shifting... maybe people would enjoy manually unloading the boxes of their PC2 hold hours on end, I don't know. Maybe a timer there would add to the immersion of being a freighter captain enjoying the bar services while their hold gets cleared, could be.
Whatever it is, it is a game decision to be made. If a change adds to my game-play, I will welcome it.