Well, you just answered your own question.

Because we hate them, we like to wonder what it would have been like had they been good.

And you assumption on PT edits is way off. If anything, the fact that so much time and effort has been put into PT edits shows that some of us are very determined to like these films to some extent. If it was really such a hate and not give them a chance sort of relationship, you wouldn't expect someone to sit down and dedicate hours of their lives to trying to make it a better movie. Not sure what edits you saw, I am sure some are jarring hack and slash jobs, because most fanedits and faneditors are jokes and don't know what they are doing. However, some of the guys out there are pretty good, and have really given it a good effort.

Haven't really seen any OT edits that try to make them better movies, haven't seen any OT edits at all, other than Adywan's. Do they really exist? Can't imagine what anyone would change.