Nobody is counting mining pools. It's miners. And ... @QuipTalk

Mining pools are an essential part of the Bitcoin network and are responsible for validating blocks and ensuring the security of the network. Miners can join a mining pool to combine their hashpower and increase their chances of earning rewards. While miners can easily leave a mining pool, the pool itself still has control over which blocks are validated and which are not. This means that miners may not have the same level of control over the network as they would have if they were to mine independently. Mining pools also provide miners with a way to increase their rewards by pooling their resources, which is why they are so important to the Bitcoin network.

No it’s mining pools since they decide which blocks are validated and which not. Miners that join a pool don’t decide on blocks individually.