Using local workspaces for source control

Long-time users of TFS may recall an era where using it required that their development machine have constant contact with the TFS server, even for relatively benign operations. This was because the TFS server would track the files you had on your development machine, which meant that all check-in and check-out operations required communication with the server.

The consequence of this behavior is that it makes offline work very difficult. In areas of poor network connectivity (on a plane, café, and the like), it may even mean work is prevented. Since the use of source control is something to be encouraged, this behavior is very frustrating, especially when conflicts emerge during check-ins and "get latest" operations.

In an effort to mitigate this, TFS sets the read-only flag on all files that are under source control, which only frustrates developers more, since they can't easily edit files unless they use a tool that is aware of this behavior and...