Hidden SSIDs aren't really 'hidden', the ESSID is passed in the clear over the air whenever a client associates. The PROBLEM with Hidden SSIDs is that clients have to probe for that specific SSID before the AP will respond, and some clients may not probe correctly, and this results in huge roaming and performance issues as they spend more time probing in the air than associating. When the SSID is not hidden, clients can see the beacons and probe responses in the air and build a roaming table faster and thus client roaming performance is much improved.
So yes, hiding the SSID is not only pointless, but it also impairs network performance and thus should NEVER be used.