Heh, it took me a while to get used to the icon too (and I'm the programmer!)... however, I needed to get rid of it to make room for the 'teams' option, as well as future options. It's really not a space issue for me (since I run at 1600x1200) but for anyone running 800x600, the nav bar starts to approach the edges (so I'm told). Of course, if enough people complain, I will try and figure something out (I'm pretty responsive to your needs afterall)... :)
-dr