People who don't respond to their gift fics (a minor rant)

What is it with people not commenting on fics that were written for them in a fic exchange? One fic I wrote for a recent exchange was never commented on by the person I wrote it for, although it was well-received by several other commenters. And I noticed I wasn't the only one. In every larger exchange I've seen, there are always people who don't even bother to acknowledge the time and effort that went into writing the fic for them. Even if you end up not liking the fic, don't you think you should at least make a polite acknowledgement? Something along the lines of 'Thanks for writing this, I appreciate it!' Sure, things happen in RL, like losing your internet, getting sick, what have you. That can happen once in a while. But this seems to be a fairly regular phenomenon.

Oh, and I still have not received a gift for another exchange I participated in. The mod told me the person had some RL issues and couldn't get it done in time, but promised it would be coming. It's been three months, and no fic. That's what pinch hitters are for.

Fandomcommerce recs

It's been over for a while, but I thought I'd make a rec list of my favorites from the fandomcommerce Winter 2009 exchange.

Art:

Unbarred by noneedofcrepe . Rated G. This is a beautiful set of portrait and letters written by Lucius and Narcissa. The emotions are strongly portrayed in both writing and images. It won't take you long to look at this, but the impressions will stay with you a long time.

Family Reunion by noneedofcrepe . Rated PG. Really amazing portrayal of the physicality of emotions in Tonks' death scene.

Fic:

Love, Trust, and Feet by naturegirlrocks . Rated R. Slytherins and shoe fetishes. Very fun and creative. Slash warning.

Walk the Line by annabtg . Rated G. Lily/James, but not annoyingly so. Interesting insight into OCD, sort of humorous but without making fun of it.

Rarepair_Shorts rec list

And some favorites from the recent rarepair_shorts Winter 2009/2010 fic exchange. The master list is here.

Dream a Little Dream by kellychambliss . PG-13. Twisted and dark, but I don't usually like this genre, and I did enjoy this one. Creepy yet believable. Is it all a figment of George's drug-riddled imagination, or is it real?

Percy Weasley and the Clue of Four by shadowings . PG-13. The summary says it all perfectly: In which Percy is oblivious, Oliver is obvious, and Mrs. Malfoy is facetious. Just a lot of fun and cleverness.

Percy Weasley’s Guide to Proper Spectator Etiquette by peskywhistpaw . PG. More Percy/Oliver humour and cluelessness.

The More I See You by orpheus_samhain . PG-13. Pansy is a very clever, capable, and self-assured woman, and Bill is always one step behind her. Maybe that's just where he wants to be.