> I find it rather helpful and good...always show the featured tab even when there are 0 questions with bounties

Is it really "helpful and good" to create expectations and provide a link to what would be specific content, only to find having clicked said link that there's absolutely nothing there?

Even it being disabled carries UX issues of it not being clear why clicking things does nothing.

> and it encourage users to use the bounty system

Surely clicking a button to find an empty page is going to have the opposite effect, and they're less likely to click it again? Whereas not seeing the button when there's no content, and then when they do it being there and not before might raise intrigue and so they click it - and no dissatisfaction of having no content to peruse.

Without clear indication that there's nothing to see once they click it, what will make them click it? A gamble now and then to see if something exists? This is bad UX IMO