there are less polite words for that. No fanfic author is so enormous that he/she cannot take the time to respond to a comment and if one thinks he/she is that important or above common courtesy, I respectfully submit that said person is sadly lacking and in dire need of a little humility

I doubt it's always that, just to offer an alternative perspective. Some people have very limited on-line time, might not have unlimited internet use, might be working from a library computer, the list goes on. *shrugs*

But I'm offering that different perspective because as a reader I find it kind of rude to think of feedback as a debt-making device when that's miles away from what I'm trying to accomplish when I send someone feedback. I enjoy giving feedback. I'd hate to think the author might see my feedback as something other than what it is: straight-forward appreciation or critique. It doesn't matter to me if the author responds.

As to why there is a debate, not everyone has the same opinion, including the readers, about whether a response to feedback is required. I think this debate comes around every so often because we *need* it to keep our thumb on the beating heart of fandom, to know what it wants and needs and/or what hurts it. In that way, this debate can't be a bad thing.