There are a lot of good reads that a reply is not needed, but I feel, that if you did enjoy it as a good read, the polite thing to do is let the person know that you found it to be a good read.
In my mind, the number of hits on a post means nothing as far as it being a good post.
Though not perfect this represents the last 30 days. The first number after the link, is the total page views and the second are the unique page views. When posting, consider whether it is one that is good for conversation or one that might be better as a blog. The larger the difference between the two numbers represents larger numbers of shalers returning to repost. Of course the number will be dependent on how long the topic stays on the homepage.