Thanks Michael. If it is still possible to influence the design of new merge enhancements, I would make the following comments that you might take into account.
It is possible already to see pending merges on your merge issues list, and to complete a merge that wasn't necessarily sent to you. Then when the person who was sent the merge gets to it, they find it's no longer there, and there is no real explanation as to why.
1. The person who can't now complete the merge gets frustrated, and if this happens too often they may just ignore future merge requests, because "they never work anyway". Not a good outcome.
2. Merge requests often carry with them a request to collaborate or join family. If someone else does the merge, that message doesn't get through.
If I see I need to do (say) 30 merges on public profiles owned by another person who I don't know (call him Fred), I don't send Fred 30 merges, as that would be annoying, bordering on harrassment. Rather I send Fred 1 merge, with a request to collaborate and with text in the message that explains my connection to that part of the tree and what I am trying to achieve. If someone else does the merge, that message is lost. Worse, Fred sees me as someone who sends him merges that don't work, and as the saying goes "you never get a second chance to make a first impression".
I am all for enhancements that help clean the tree, but not if they "go behind people's back" in the first instance. Better in the first instance to get the two profile managers talking with each other (collaborating), but have other methods also available to get around problem areas.
If there are merges that involve my family or where I am the main profile manager, I would much rather that I were approached for the merge, rather than someone going to one of my collaborators because they already collaborate with them, and therefore the merge is "easier". That other third party may know nothing about that tree section, and may make mistakes, and I end up feeling left out and missing the opportunity to strike up a new relationship.
Having said all that, I have had no bad experiences of this nature to date, and I hope that will continue!