±12         Am I a diskstealer?
±13-------------------------------------
±12by Dolphin

±11I  began  my swapping "carreer" about
one   year  ago.   To  gain  contacts
quickly,  I  did  what  I  think most
newcomers  do.   I wrote to many more
or less wellknown groups and persons.
I  quickly  discovered  that  "elite"
groups never, or almost never replyed
my  letters.   I usually enclosed one
or  two disks in each parcel.  I lost
many  disks  in  this  period.  I was
quite  angry  at  those  who  kept my
disks  and  never  sent  back.   But,
today, I don't feel this way anymore.

After  some  months I had about 15 or
20    contacts.     I    tried   some
stamp-faking  for a while, but in the
long  run  it  didn't  work out.  The
post-office noticed it and they began
to  open my mail.  As a swapper I was
never truly satisfied with the amount
of  contacts  that I had, so I placed
several advertisments in a wide range
of  diskmagazines.   After  a while I
had  say,  50  contacts.   As  I'm  a
student,   and  haven't  got  an  own
income,  I soon suffered from lack of
money.   After  all, I didn't want to
spend   all  my  pocket-money  on  my
"expensive"  hobby.  So, I started to
delay   my  reply's.   When  I  first
started swapping I always replied the
day  I recieved, or alternatively the
next.  Now, I didn't answer for weeks
or  months.   I felt really bad about
it,  because  even  my  best  friends
seldom    got   a   letter   anymore.
Therefore  I  couldn't answer all the
letters I recieved.  I kept the disks
and  desided  that  if  someone asked
about their disks at a party, I would
of  course  give some new disks back.
(This   never  happened...)±13  Well,  I
didn't  place  those  adds to "steal"
your  disks.±11   But,  unfortunately, I
couldn't stand the financial pressure
that  rose  quickly.  I really admire
those  who have as a policy to always
send  disks  back.   I'm sorry that I
can't  do  that  (and  I  think  many
others  with  me).   I have, however,
kept   ALL   letters   I   have  ever
recieved, so chances are that I might
answer   some  time  in  the  future.

Guys  being  angry at diskstealers is
really  an  interesting  thing.  What
they  need to learn is that sending a
pair   of  disks  to  a  new  contact
represents a certain risk, a risk you
have  to  take  in order to gain more
contacts.    And  swappers  who  lose
their  disks  over  and  over  again,
should  perhaps  reconsider their way
of  presentation.  Maybe the software
they  send  is  just  to  old, or the
letter just isn't good enough.

If you have any views on this matter,
you  are  welcome to write an article
to  express  your  feelings  in  this
matter.   (Especially  people  who've
lost or kept disks.)ç