WotC has outright stated, repeatedly, that they don't like the old "editions" model of D&D publishing and are abandoning it. They have outright stated, repeatedly, that their goal is for players to NOT feel compelled to have to replace all their books, and for new releases to play well with existing 5e releases.
They are, in other words, trying to change the D&D paradigm.
Paradigm shifts are hard and always meet with entrenched resistance. They challenge the ego. Thus, this thread.
Will WotC succeed in their project? I dunno. It seems hard...but what if they are right and we're wrong? What if there is a better model for how to update the game without alienating big chunks of the player base? What if Gary Gygax and Lorraine Williams set the game on a flawed "editions" path back in the 80s when sales were collapsing and they were desperately looking for short term fixes? Are these things possible?
WotC specifically used the term "evolution" for their new model of updating the game. That is interesting. In evolution, there aren't new "editions." There is just incremental change, with interbreeding possible at every stage amongst a given population. Over time, the changes can be enormous. But there is no one moment you can point to and state, "THAT is where the new species began." Well, that is what they are describing for their new vision for D&D. No giant changes. Just gradual adaptations to a changing environment.