Time to flush developer accumulated patches?

Reading mailing list threads it is becoming common these days to hear about contributors with patches ready to be sent as soon as 1.5.4 is out.

Would be a good idea to open a new branch new_stuff as a target for this pending stuff?

I understand that you want people focused on fixing bugs, but I also understand that people don't ;-)

Opening a new_stuff branch could have the following benefits:

- Give more time to fix bugs before 1.5.4 is out without stopping
people from having fun and reduce the pressure to release.

- Reduce the merging impact when master reopens because patches are
already merged in new_stuff and developers have already taken care of
conflicts

- Do not slow down the wheel: I can develop some patches and keep them
myself, but until are not discussed in the list and eventually got in
master has little meaning to continue develop additional stuff.

- Perhaps it's lack of reviewing time on your side that worries you
(as is normal because we are on bug fixes mode in master) but upgrade
from new_stuff to master would be not automatic nor guaranteed but at
least people have an idea at what's going on and can keep contributing
in code and ideas.

Comments?

Marco