On 1/21/06, Tony Sidaway f.crdfa@gmail.com wrote:
Let's develop a similar procedure here. If someone sees a deletion nomination where deletion could obviously be avoided if a merge or redirect were to be negotiated, then that person should remove the AfD tag and start a discussion on the talk page about that alternative action. The discussion should not proceed to deletion until those proposing deletion have diligently investigated all alternatives. *NO ONUS SHOULD BE PLACED ON THOSE OPPOSING DELETION*. It should be for those proposing that the article, category, article template or other encyclopedia component, should be deleted, to show by due diligence that the item cannot be reorganised in a fruitful manner.
You appear to be asking them to prove a negative. That is generaly considered to be imposible (outside maths).
-- geni