1. "checkout" is a destructive command Yeah, so? "checkout <branch>" changes the working dir's files to match those of <branch>, and "checkout <file>" reverts

1. "checkout" is a destructive command Yeah, so? "checkout <branch>" changes the working dir's files to match those of <branch>, and "checkout <file>" reverts <file>'s contents to its original. It's documented and does what it says. 2. You can’t merge upstream changes into your local, uncommitted modifications Why not just commit your "hacky" modifications onto a local branch? The great thing about Git is that your commits/checkins don't have to be perfect, since no-one else can see them until pushed/pulled/merged anyways. 3. Git’s merge conflict resolution workflow is unintuitive If you've used Git at all, you should be comfortable with the fact that you need to "git add" files before you "git commit" them. Resolving changes is no different. "git add" each conflicting file and then "git commit". 4. Interface for working with the index almost universally confusing Maybe you have a point there. I'm actually using Git GUI a lot more than the command-line now. The only time I've used the command-line recently is for pruning, which the GUI has no way to do (it can only compress). Git GUI is pretty friendly.