I don't personally know anyone who considered 8.1 to be a good release. It was welcome because it did blunt a couple of the more egregious sharp edges of 8, but that doesn't mean it was anywhere near good.
Agreed. But people hated 10 more than 8.1, so they labeled 10 as a bad release and 8.1 as a good release so that the pattern could fit. Now that people hate 11 more than 10, people say that 10 was good so that the pattern can fit.