One Author Page which all variations to write the same name redirect to ... is it possible at all?

[Charles]

[Hopefully I am posting this in the right place now]

Is there not any way that there could be a single page set as "the" page for an author - that the various ways to write it would all redirect to - without losing any data? I give an example below and why.

[The original form I tried to post this - had two sections. One for the brief question, a second for more details regarding it.]

So on my home calibre library - which I have been trying to get into order - and to have it linked here (and elsewhere) - I recently merged all John Plamenatz to his full name, John Petrov Plamenatz. You have two different pages for both. But the latter is less complete than the former - and only on that is there one follower. But it also can be found as J. P. Plamenatz and John P. Plamenatz. It seems crazy to have two (potentially four) pages for the same author - with different info on each. Rather than have all variations of the name redirect to one - which would also list the various alternatives the name occurs as. So whether you enter any of them - they could all go either to John Plamenatz or his full name John Petrov Plamenatz. But the user could enter any of the above four variations - and they all would be directed to just the one page.

I know that apparently there is a problem for comments people have left on different book pages (but then again - we get two of the same book (even edition) - when they are created using two name versions for the author). The same principle seems it should apply to a book - in all its editions - each book having one main page - but the page could have links to each addition (as most commentators will be seeking to communicate with others reading the same book (regardless of the edition) - although there of course would be the occasional user who has something to say about one specific edition that involves how it is distinct from the others (but this often is only fully appreciated if you have access to the information about both editions in the same place - so you know what the differences are).

When I changed the author entry to the more complete full first middle last name - without using initials - I noticed this - as what had linked to the more complete "Joseph Plamenatz" page now linked to the very different (content wise) and less complete "Joseph Petrov Plamenatz" page. But the information on the latter is not all on the former. Which got me frustrated (and led me to asking this question - even considering applying for "librarian" status to try and help merge such pages (although what I discovered is I will have to spend a bit more time reading up on how the site is organized/maintained - before offering my services for such). But that is how I learned the issues of merging two author pages (that are in fact the same author - just with or without the middle name or with or without use of initials for first and/or middle name).

I know I have gone into a lot of detail. But it just doesn't seem right that multiple pages would develop - with completely different information depending on which you went to - rather than all being condensed into one page - that lists all the variations possible - has one as the "prime" name - and all the rest just get redirected to the same page.



To me it just seems common sense and would appear to be the ideal approach and solution. But I am just not sure if the problem is the coding of the program - and that it would need to be changed (although with my minor knowledge in programming - it seems like it shouldn't be that difficult for someone who thinks in code language - I have many friends like that - to come up with a fairly quick fix for it that would merge all the data that is already distinguished by the different author name - so that they would form a single database per author (regardless of spelling) and in the future - all of the data for comments attached to books and specific editions - would automatically merge together. [I also wound up first submitting this at what turned out to be the "wrong place" - and had to redo my question in this, the proper forum. :)]

Just my thoughts. As I spent a bit of time looking into this - when I should have just moved on with what I was doing on the library on my computer - I now know more about your system and its quirks (and many of its rules and procedures in editing the data for pages) but am a few hundred books behind where I would have been in updating and consolidating my library files and filing system. :) ... At least I THINK I am at the right place now!

[Scott]

When GR imports data from various sources, we often end up with variations of author names that need to be cleaned up manually when we come across them. I have merged the shorter names into the most complete variant (Joseph Petrov Plamenatz). The name will come up when searching for any of the shorter versions.

[Charles]

Thanks - I saw that yesterday - I appreciate it.