I too wondered where it'd gone - there one minute, gone the next.

Yes, the counter could easily be artificially inflated, but rather than removing what some people really liked, it would've been so easy to update the website code to make it actually work accurately (i.e. where multiple views from the same computer/IP address weren't counted as separate views).

I fully understand why development of the blockchain takes so long, and implementing new blockchain-backed features too...but when it comes to simple updates to a website userface!? There's really no excuse why the Steemit website shouldn't develop/improve at a much faster pace.

A lot of [even some relatively simple] UI/UX changes could be pushed through, even A/B tested to vastly improve the website, and our collective experience.