This is not what the answer should be : go play something else. I was advertised by trailers and everything, a game with interraction and a living universe.
but if you are bored of the game that IS the only answer, go away, have a breather, and then maybe come back later. FD can only put the tools out there for player interaction. Elite has always been a solo game. this one steps it up, by as you 100% accurately say, inviting us to play in a MP environment............. just because not enough people take them up on that invite its not really their faullt (If you are saying the game needs more content I will give you a hell yeah! of course i want more, but, we have what we have right now).
FD say they are inviting us to PvP in PP, but will people actuqlly be playing open at all?
I do not know... like you say FD INVITE us to play in open. Many will try it out, indeed most players will start off in open, I know I did, my 1st 7 months+ were in open (admittedly in premium beta and beta i did not have much choice

) The only reason i dropped out was because my home systems are around the lave leesti area...... I would not have even considered it before "that" nonsence started.... however then I found the Mobius group and it seems like a win win for me. I never would have looked for it however had it not been for dumbfire rocket killers sitting inside a space station so you have those people to thank for losing me.
So if the players in open want to keep seeing other players in open, then the onus is kind of on them to keep the place the sort of place where people may want to be and hope that the majority stick around.
its (much like this thread) a circular argument... but the answer should never be, block of players from going into the mode of their choice, given that they were & still are advertised.