So, it occurs to me after 7 years of playing and 4 years of forum viewing on the official site, this has to be the greatest game of all time. If people love it, they talk about it. If they hate it, they talk about it (probably in the hopes of fixing whatever they hate). Even players who don't even play anymore will still stop by and offer their opinion and claim they don't really care.
I think people do care. I think the millions of players this game has seen, past or current, cannot stay away from it. They are enthralled by the game, the memories it holds, and the surprises just around the corner. Someone did a poll recently asking who was buying the next expac and the response was overwhelming. The next expansion is 6-10 months away from release and yet it has its own General Discussion thread on this very site.
People can act big and bad all they like, and complain til they are blue in the face, but the truth is, this is still their favorite MMO of all time. I won't deny it is mine. Have been with WoW since Jan 19, 2007. I plan to stick around til the servers shut down. I am not a hardcore raider, so my view is likely skewed by the fact that I just play the game. It is not a full time thing for me. But I log in each day, play how I want to play, hang out with friends, and call it a day after a few hours.
I can safely say, in my own personal opinion on this subject, without any broad stroke generalizations, or trying to speak for anyone but myself, this is the greatest MMO of all time. I've tried the rest and keep coming back to WoW. It is unlike any other MMO on the planet.