When merging a previously unmerged match, why should we have to start an entire new merge..

Question

I've set approved matches as unmerged matches  to make sure I had it right or wait for parents above to be merges. When I want to then merge them for real, you have to un-attach them and initiate a new merge. If merges happened fast this would be ok, but sometimes you have to wait 30 days again for the default. If it's been approved once, it should still be approved after an unmerged match.

Comments

Hi Anne B.

I don't have an answer to your question, but in my own work, there is a usually a reason (often unrecorded) the match wasn't initiated as a merge. Maybe the associated parents or spouses are in conflict. There might be some other variance in the a vital or biographical entry.

In other words, the unmerged match wasn't an approval, but a way of saying something needs to be resolved in order for us to know if these profiles are about the the same persons or not.

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Saying what Gene said another way, don't assume that just because someone has set a pair of profiles as Unmerged Match that it's a previously approved match. It may not have been at all. Unmerged Match is simply a way of saying: these two MAY be the same, but some closer analysis needs to happen to make sure that's true.

Of course if we had a reason box for Unmerged Matches, no matter how they were initiated, then we'd be able to determine this distinction.

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+1, Jillaine.

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Thank you, I guess I wasn't looking at the other side.

Answer 1

I can see both sides of this.  Of course unmerged match is a status which should be used to mean, "There are significant differences that need to be resolved before this merge can go forward," or "It is not certain these two profiles represent the same person."  On the other hand, we have some Wikitreers, especially those who have joined more recently, changing pending merges to unmerged match because of some very trivial difference between the two.  These unmerged matches are undoubtedly well intended, but are sometimes done by people who don't realize it is causing unnecessary problems and delays.

Generally, where the two profiles clearly represent the same person, differences can be noted in the bio section of the merged profile, and data fields in question can be marked as uncertain when called for.

Answer 2

We shouldn't have to, but that is the way it is.