Jeff King [off-list ref] writes:
I do also wonder if the two features would need to be separated for a
GVFS-style solution. If you're not just avoiding large blobs but trying
to get a narrow clone, you don't want the .git files from the
uninteresting parts of the tree. You want to get no blobs at all, and
then fault them in as they become relevant due to user action.
Thanks; I didn't think of this one while reviewing the overall design,
but I agree that this is something important to think about.