I participate in some swaps and exchanges with wood carvers and mini quilters. I have even hosted several of these swaps & exchanges. Have you ever wondered what would happen to these swaps & exchanges if no one hosted them? If no one organized them, policed them, followed up on them, and then had to make "angel quilts"or extra carvings to send to participants whose swap partners dropped off the planet, without sending a carving or a quilt!
Well I can see the answer right around the corner. There seems to be more and more of these folks in each new swap. I am referring to those folks who sign up then don't even communicate with their swap partners, nor the host, and then never send a mini quilt or a carving. Do these folks just get over whelmed with life, and cannot fulfill their obligations? Or do they intentionally sign up as a way to get something?
Would this make them a thief? There I said it! THIEF! If they are thieves, what are they really stealing? It just starts out with the mini quilt or carving, that they steal. The mini quilt or carving is the lesser of things that are in fact stolen.
By not fulfilling their obligation they steal everyones trust, especially their swap partners.
The steal the though that quilters and carvers are special people.
They cause swap participants to stop participating.
They cause swap hosts to rethink ever again hosting another swap.
And when this happens, they steal the possibility of meeting some truly wonderful folks, through the swap projects.
They steal the fun of a swap.