I think connected realms are the better form of server merger since everyone keeps their name.
I would guess maybe they don’t want to connect realms right now because they hope a large number will come back for 9.0 and don’t want to connect realms now when hardly anyone is playing if they don’t need it in 9.0?
Or maybe they have plans to just connect all (non-rp?) realms in 9.0 so we’re all essentially on a megaserver since we’re frequently playing together in xrealm zones and what not anyway. They would essentially just be merging our economies and maybe finally releasing an AH overhaul at the same time so it can handle that many people all using the same one.