I just don't get all the uproar.
I personally like the numbers. But I like numbers/stats in general. I like sports. I play fantasy sports. I keep the stats for my golf league. I just like numbers.
Most of my local cacher friends like the numbers roo. We compete for fun - most finds in a day, most consecutive days, etc. To me this just adds to the fun.
I respect those who don't want to show their numbers. I think they should have that right. Even for non-premium members. Who does it hurt? Nobody that I can think of. I think it helps.
Those who want to hide/not track their numbers would be more likely to post "find" logs. This would slightly reduce server activity - PQ's would be more accurate. This would help these cachers enjoy the game more - as they would not need to manually filter out their own finds from the PQ's. Having these cachers log their finds would also provide more feedback to those who hide caches. I have a few hides and do like to read the logs - good/bad/otherwise.
I log (almost) all of my DNF's. I do this mostly for my own knowledge. I check my DNF list occassionally and go back and try again. If I do find the cache, I change the DNF to a note. It's my way of keeping track.
I see no downside to giving those who do not want to show their numbers that option - even though I would never myself use it.
I see no downside