Merge Requests - more or different options wanted for response

For folks wanting to see where this discussion broke off from - my first response above was to http://www.geni.com/discussions/111399?msg=806580 - next is to Mike's comment right after that. you can also read comments higher up on that page for that lead up to this, if interested.

Lois, what about "No don't merge" then a note in BOTH About Me sections to identify the duplication and explain your reasons?

Alex - are you suggesting ADDING a choice of "No don't merge' OR of CHANGING one of the choices to "No don't merge"? Currently that simple option of saying "No don't merge" does not exist.

1] No, Geni does nothing when you click "I'll decide later"
2] Then just click the "No" button - I support Alex's idea of putting a note on the profiles explaining why they shouldn't be merged, or better yet letting a curator do it with a Merge Note.

Missed a bracked - so deleting and re-posting comment to Mike (originally my second post)

Mike Stangel - You said " I use "I'll decide later" when I don't want to merge but don't want my decision to affect others' decisions."

1] If you click "I'll decide later" does Geni know / record there has been a response? (This is important vis a vis folks so furious / upset / irritated by Managers who fail to respond to Merge requests. - especially those suggesting actions that should be taken if no response)

2] I am talking about a decision that I want to be the deciding factor, that I want to result in the merge being rejected just as much as if I had said they were not a match.

Lois,
Sorry i will correct myself:
"Choose "No, the two are not a match" then add a note in BOTH About Me sections to identify the duplication and explain your reasons?

You have described this as "lying" previously which IMO is a little OTT.
I don't disagree that another button could be added, i'm just suggeting a work around.

Ah well - see Mike saw and responded as I was correcting. Sorry for making a mess of this.

Mike - There is no "No don't merge" choice currently. Currently only way to say No is to say they do not Match. If I tell a Curator they match but I do not want to merge - whether because I want my privacy or I do not like how that manager does things or whatever - then what happens?
And why should I have to lie?

Mike - can curators put Merge Notes on private profiles or only on public profiles (MPs)?

Clearly there is no option at the moment to say "I agree these are a match, but I don't want to merge the two, and I want it recorded that I agree they are the same and that I don't want the two merged".

I think this is what Lois might be proposing, but I am not sure. I am also not convinced that this is something worth having.

Alex - think I may have figured out what "IMO" or "OTT" mean. But - Could we please stick to English for those with abbreviation-impairment?

As long as Geni agrees they will not merge Private Profiles without Permission, I prefer to just ignore. Since nothing is done if click "I'll Decide Later", clicking the Back Arrow or leaving the Screen some other way does not have any different effect from clicking "I'll Decide Later" so I will stick to that.

I am bothered by having to say something which is not True. I do not see how it benefits Geni to encourage folks to do so. Moreover, thinking about it now, TOS says something about not entering info you know is false (if you know it is a Match, case could be made at some point that is what clicking it is not a match amounted to; which makes it not only offensive to me but possibly dangerous to my continued membership on geni).

Can I qualify what I just wrote to say that if you have edit access on the profiles, you can write that text in the About of the profiles - just as you can write more or less anything else.

I think a lot of merging is done from tree view or tree matches, without reading About sections. If more About sections were read before merging, many (but not all) bad merges could be avoided.

According to http://help.geni.com/entries/472609-what-is-the-difference-between-... - when you do not have permission to request/complete the merge, the choices are “Yes, request to merge” and “No, remove match”

BUT when you do have permission to complete the merge, the choices presented to you are “Yes, merge these profiles” and “No, they’re different.”

Not sure if the Question at the top also varies or is the same.

"Are these profiles of the same person?" should be quite easy to change to "Do you want to merge these profiles?"
It wouldn't need any change to the program just displaying different text.
The progression would then be:
"Do you want to merge these profiles?"
a) "Yes, merge"/"Yes, request merge"
b) "No, remove match"
c) "I'll decide later"

It would be good if (b) triggered a notification to all managers and anyone who had requested the merge.

Re: curator note Mike & David mentioned

This refers to a blue additional text box that "floats" above a profile.

Here's an example from a little work in progress

Capt. George Dabney

1. There are 256 characters available
2. HTML linking is supported
3. As with all curating scope, can only be used on public profiles
4. It is not necessary to also make the profile MP
5. As with anything on the curator menu, I will gladly copy & paste suggested verbiage on request. Can't speak for others but I think the "curator please assist" discussion is a good place to request a "merge note".

Actually reword (c) also to "I don't want to decide now." which removes the current implication that you will make a decision in the future.