[nixon_why69]

> the value that Git provides -- branching (not just ephemeral branching for your local convenience).

I think this is the disconnect. I could see big libraries maintaining branches for each major release and I understand why linux does it. But if I'm maintaining FooService at work then I actually do just want a linear graph of all the commits that have been in production, in commit order.

[hackrmn]

If you want that, mandate developers use prefixes like `!fixup` and do `git rebase` _on your end_ -- why force upon everyone your ideas especially if it also squashes all development history? This also removes development friction because people can work with Git on their end the way they like without regard to some convention that can be avoided -- save for the "!fixup" thing which can be considered useful metadata.

[BigTTYGothGF]

I want development history to be squashed. I want to have a nice clean `git log` that I can look back thru and not see a mess of 'WIP' and 'fix' and other noise.

Unless you're saving every keystroke from your editor you're already squashing history, we're just arguing about degrees.

[nixon_why69]

I do enforce rebased, releasable merges to master on my end, I'm not campaigning to remove branching from git for everyone.

Just saying, in the common case, the simple approach actually is pretty good.