The answer back then (the question had been asked many times) was that it was "easy to manipulate" (simply reloading the page with F5 apparently) and therefore irrelevant or worse, misguiding. I am not convinced at all by that argument.
Knowing how many people have actually read a post or watched a video is extremely useful. The fact that the "viewcount" indicator was not perfect and could be manipulated should have been a reason to IMPROVE IT in order to make it more precise, not to remove it all together!
It's like: "Oh, you twisted your ankle and are limping now! It would seem that this leg is not helping you walk well! How sad! ... I'll therefore saw off your leg altogether, so you'll be rid of this bad leg that's making you limp!"
Thank you @sorin.lite. This is the most info I got from anyone on the matter. So, I really appreciate you taking the time to fill me in. I like your way of thinking and your analogy at the end is spot on. It boggles the mind how people can create something wonderful like Steemit, but take away something so precious from it without much thought or consideration. I guess there are things that we just have to accept in life, despite their ridiculousness. Too many. God bless you.