Allow 10k's to merge tags

Question

Probably this has been asked before but due to the insane amount of merge tag requests I wasn't able to find it.

Merging tags is probably the most common request here on meta. It would be nice if 10k's could do it themselves:

• 15 votes required to pass, 5 to fail
• 10k's would see at the top on the page, next to logout, about and faq a merge requests link with the number of requests they haven't voted in yet: for example, merge requests (2), in a visible color such as red. This will bring in many votes and makes the process really fast even though 15 votes are required, and with that many votes abuse would be non existent.
• Allow 1k's to propose new retag requests, but not to vote on them.

Maybe all of this would be too complicated and time consuming to implement. But I think it will be worth it in the long run.. Especially since I often see tags that should be merged, but they are almost never used so I wouldn't want to bother a mod with this. Or you can implement a simpler version of what I proposed.

Answer 1

No.

Tag Merging, while a useful skill, is still something that has enough consequences that it should be left to moderators. I would say maybe individuals at 20K and above, but not just 10Kers. Looking at the numbers, 20K is the new 10K, and 10K is the new 5K.

Answer 2

How about a complete moratorium on creating tags for a month, and see if it causes any real problem? There is no shortage of the damn things after all. And if it doesn't cause the end of the world, relax it so that only 5K users (figure picked out of hat) can create them.

Answer 3

Many reasons this just won't happen:

• tag sponsorship
• people abusing to get obscure tag medals "silver: ice-dancing", etc
• people abusing to get taxonomist
• tag wars of every nature
• people being dangerously stupid (there is no undo): "merge c# and .net - that'll be fine"

I'm tempted to add a "status-declined" - I'm > 100% sure that's where this is heading.

Answer 4

Actually, the best reason for forcing these suggestions to be made here on Meta is to make each tag change/merge open for discussion prior to implementation. Merging a tag is so potentially destructive that it really shouldn't be left up to the whim of a single person, regardless of their reputation.

However, not every tag change request is all that interesting or controversial. Implementing a fixed voting system would likely mean that boring requests would languish. Add in the need for some sort of discussion system on more controversial requests, and Meta suggestions start to look like a pretty good compromise.

Answer 5

The long-term solution is an tag database solution that allows tag synonyms (two tags mean the same thing) and tag banning (disallowing certain tags).

Until then, tag renaming is a non-reversible and potentially very damaging operation. Tag requests can be made on meta but it should be left to the blessed few to turn the second key. Just to be safe.

Answer 6

I just happen to know that 1 out of the 6 current SO ♦ moderators has screwed up a mass retag already, and that had to be rolled back in the database. Multiply that by the ~450 users who have 10k or greater and try to imagine the hijinks that would ensue. I vote no, since I know exactly how easy it is to mess this up.

Answer 7

Until it consumes more than 5% of a moderators bandwidth, I doubt it's an issue. Can you quantify the 'problem'?

As it is, the current system seems to work fine. There's no re-tagging backlog, and if there is it's because they want more discussion, not because they can't handle all the requests.

So please bring some numbers to the table to help us understand the magnitude of the issue.

Answer 8

This whole problem would just go away if tag black listing and tag synonyms were implemented.

The system should know that if someone types in n c-sharp they really mean c#