The odd sync timing wasn't the best, but for a certain value of "accuracy" it couldn't be beat, even being able to know things that weren't super obvious to the player themselves about their character.
They did intend to bring it back, sort of. Census was going to do everything EQPlayers did but better and be an API that people like Magelo could use to get the info direct as it was uncovered. The first hurdle was getting everything ironed out with the EQ2 Census and the other games which were built with the ability to use it or something like it. Then second part would be refining EQ's databases or what have you work with it, as it would not without a not insignificant amount of work. I'm not sure the first ever got completed, but I know the second did not.
AFAIK Census is stuck waiting on the EQ Devs to implement it on their end of what they want hidden, shown, etc and it's been stuck at this stage for a few years now at least
This provides no value to the game itself and few would be willing to pony up extra $$ for it so I am sure it's on DBG's "Things we'll do if we have absolutely nothing else to work on" list.