Maybe Linux (and other similar projects) ought to divide into separate streams - one "research" trunk, that focuses on cleanliness, elegance, and standards comp

Maybe Linux (and other similar projects) ought to divide into separate streams - one "research" trunk, that focuses on cleanliness, elegance, and standards compliance and is not constrained by backward compatibility commitments, and from which multiple "practical" branches might diverge, each always maintaining compatibility to its point of origin, despite the tendency to accumulate cruft as it evolves.