title: Git avoiding "merge branch master"
body: <p>A colleague and I are using git with a single remote origin repository.
  We both Commit local then push to origin. As we are working there is naturally some divergence.</p>
  <p>Once its time to push to origin i would suspect we can merge local, then push to origin.
  I anticipated to get a rather straight version history without described merges.</p>
  <p>Judging from the rather complicated version <em>Subway Map</em> and the ever recurring <em>Merge branch 'master'</em> message i guess we are doing something not quite right.</p>
  <ul>
  <li>What is the reason for the &quot;merge branch to master&quot; messages?</li>
  <li>How can this version history be simplyfied?</li>
  </ul>
  <p>I have the feeling this has been answered here before but I couldn't fully understand the information I gathered.</p>
  <p><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/hDX7Y.png" alt="Git Version History" /></p>