...Exactly. It's been a feature forever, it complicates the codebase, and no one ever uses it.

Two examples[0,1].

[0]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7033047

[1]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2445039

Hardly ever see it used in any capacity though.

Re gp: removing buttons shown on every page is probably more about simplifying interface and reclaiming space than maintenance overhead.