It's not really about the kernel, the kernel is just where the world's most talented git experts work. The downsides include the creation of a merge commit, su

It's not really about the kernel, the kernel is just where the world's most talented git experts work. The downsides include the creation of a merge commit, sure, but also the fact that it's used as a crutch by users who would rather not strive to understand how git works.