...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.