Currently, public sub counts are abbreviated in most but not all places across YouTube. In August, we’ll make this more consistent by always showing abbreviated sub counts publicly. Creators: You’ll still see your full sub count in Studio! Learn more → http://yt.be/help/abbrev-count …pic.twitter.com/pmaKk4EU4k
As someone who avidly watches YouTube I have to say I think this would be a very unpleasant change. I love seeing the rate at which a creator grows, and exactly how close they are to various milestones. I can’t imagine this actually being a good change for anyone.