No this is not really the case. In general we try hard to get alpha stable after you get some hiccups. This is not every day that we change FFI, GC, object internal representations and the text editors, syntax highli And our problems is that sometimes often we just jump over glitches (this is why I'm getting mad because when I do videos or other I see them in my face). Now I would love to have task forces that check glitches. I get the picture now. I just checked in when the lobby, the roof and the plumbing of the hotel were undergoing renovations: it's not how it is usually.
I could question whether it's a good idea to cram so much in a single release cycle. But release management is a difficult topic, and often there is no good solution, just one that has less downsides than the others.
We do not control all the agendas. We were hesitating to get Pharo 50 without spur and for some people it would have been sad. Then it would have meant 2 months in beta and slow mode. And Esteban worked a lot on the new FFI because it was needed: you do not change an object header internal representation without impact and since the previous FFI was generating assembly on the fly and few people knew its implementation and Igor got a depression we got stuck. Then this is important to get the new FFI out because Ronie is coming to visit us and he should work with Clement and esteban on a faster version. This is as simple as that. It means that all the libraries using FFI would not have been available with Spur = no use for certain people like roassal, moose, synectique. Stef