Discussion Forums - Questions about PaperBackSwap

I've been trading on here for years, but this is a first: (I took a screen shot but didn't know how to put it here)

"I am not willing to accept books with profanity/vulgarity or sexual content nor any anti-Christian content."

Ironically, I am a Christian, but I often trade books I have not read. I'm curious how I am supposed to be able to meet such arbitrary and frankly ridiculous conditions when SOMEONE ELSE is the one requesting the book. Here's a thought: do your own due diligence before requesting.

I denied the request. I don't have the time to preview a book for another member, and I'll be darned if I'm going to be forced to return a credit because of guidelines that are so open to personal interpretation.

WOW! I would deny that one also as I often list books that I haven't actually read. I agree that it's the requestor's responsibility to know what they are ordering, not the sender's.

Pam

I wouldn't touch this one with a ten foot cross.    I'm a Christian also, but everyone's definition of profanity/vulgarity and sexual content  (the Supreme Court has argued about the several times I think) is different - not to mention their definition of anti-Christian content.

There are subjective Requestor Conditions - and then there are REALLY subjective Requestor Conditions.

Given that I primarily read Paranormal romance and erotica, I'd be quite amused to see this RC pop up, but could quickly decline it

I saw one RC like that, years ago, but it they were not willing to accept any book with 'bad words' in it.

I don't know why anyone would assume that every book I post I've actually read. Most of them I actually haven't, so wouldn't know if they had bad words or not. 

And I'm certainly not going to go through and check. My time would be worth a lot more than a credit for that! I'm not even checking the books I have read to be sure.

So didn't matter what they'd request from me, I'd turn it down.

I guess they must be comfortable with all the rejections they get, or they'd change their RC.

WOW!

Lynne J

Even if I've read the book, I'm likely not to remember if there was "profanity" in it.  Unless the use of the "F-word" or other language is extremely pervasive, I wouldn't remember it.

And I agree with Angela 100%--The responsiblity/due diligence is on the requestor.  I'd not want to put myself in the position of being her censor!

The responsibility is with the requester. I am assuming she reads a certain kind of book and knows what writers she likes. It would be easier if she stuck with those. You can safely assume that books not specifically written with christians in mind like the Love Inspired romance series might have profanity or "anti-christian content" (whatever that is. )

I would not accept that request although I would seriously doubt a person with those requester conditions would order anything off my shelf.

Requester Conditions can be as arbitrary and silly as the requester wants to be. It is perfectly in the right of the sender to politely deny them and wait for the next request. There are enough members here that almost any Requester Condition will find someone to meet it so move on to requesters you want to work with and that requester will move on to a sender that wants to work with them.

One thing senders need to remember is that an RC is a blanket statement, it is not directed at any one personally so the requester isn't assuming YOU as a sender specifically have read the book, but guessing that there is a sender out there that will have read it and know what the book is like. Senders that haven't read the book obviously can't say yes to this RC.

I agree that it's the requestor's responsibility to know what they are ordering, not the sender's.

I work in a library and this reminds me of a patron I helped several years ago.  She returned a library book and wanted to speak to the person in charge of collections.  In other words, the person who has the responsibility of choosing what books to buy for the library.  She handed me the book she was returning and very proudly showed me how she had marked through (with a felt marker) all the words she thought were "dirty" words.   Of course, she did this with the entire book, so she had to have read the entire book.   She was none too happy when I explained she had damaged property that belonged to the library and her account would be charged for the full replacement value. 

I really wanted to hear the conversation between her and the collections manager.

I picked up a copy of Skinny Bitch in the Kitch at a local thrift shop. Every single 'bitch' was blacked out with a sharpie marker. Every single one. Throughout. the. darn. book.

Why? Why even glance through a book entitled Skinny Bitch if the word is so darn offensive? LOL.

Definately DENY.  I wonder how many book requests this person actually gets.  I'm a Christian but I don't really read Christian Fiction.  But even if I did and I saw that RC, I would decline her request in a nano-second. 

I pretty much never turn down an RC, but I would never even try with that one. Why would someone ELSE have to screen her reading requests. What crap!!

I would also politely decline that RC.  The sender is not responsible for content, nor do I have any clue what the requestor might consider 'bad' or personally offensive.

"I'm not responsible enough to police myself, so police my reading for me."

I would decline even if I knew the content was okay.  The requester needs to take responsibility for their own reading.  What a maroon.

I would also turn that that RC. I have more to do with my time then preview a book. What i consider bad words is different then someone elses.

I wonder how many books this person actually gets??

I would recommend that she stays away from most books aimed towards adults except by Christian authors. I would suggest some good family friendly books such as Green Eggs and Ham, Clifford the Big Red Dog, or the book series of that annoying preschool cartoon in which the main character Caillou is a whiny spoiled brat.

I would send a book if I thought it met the conditions.  If the requestor RWAPed it, I would decline to return the credit and say, "In my opinion, it met the conditions." 

If I hadn't read it or hadn't  a good idea what it was about, then I would decline the request.

But those really are very subjective conditions that person has, & subject to opinion.

I normally accept all RCs if I can, but I'm not sure I even own a book that doesn't have sexual content or profanity in them!

I'm laughing thinking of the possiblity of a Bible being requested with that RC and it being turned down. I don't know if the Bible even meets those standards!

I'm not sure I own any books that meet those requirements except for a few children's books.  Even the YA books sometimes have kissing, and I don't know how far it would have to go to violate the conditions.  yeesh.

Barbara  -- Love Sarah Orne Jewett!

I would completely ignore her RC and send the book she requested regardless of questionable content.  I honor real RCs, not inane statements.