I get it. I actually like 5E but not nearly as much as Basic. I don't think any edition has ever topped the Red Box, for me.
Fortunately, old school D&D is immensely popular, these days, and if you put some effort into it you can easily start up a game of your preference. I'm running / playing in 3 old school games now (and only one 5E game).
Maybe it depends on where you are, but Roll20 has tons of Basic/1E games available to join in on, and if you created your own game, you probably wouldn't have a hard time finding players.
One thing to remember, is that messageboards are usually filled with the more discerning / 'in the know' players, who seem to care most about edition differences. Most people who play D&D really don't care what edition you offer as long as they enjoy the game.
So offer to run B/X or 1E and drum up interest in your favorite games.