I agree that it's unlikely for people to receive the serial number of their preference regardless of their position on the lists. It is both a tracking nightmare for the Group-buy admin, and worse logistically for the manufacturer. Imagine that unit number 3 gets dropped, broken or fails whilst in the factory after a production run, and they decide to trash it. Suddenly everyone past number 3 might receive a number different than on the list.
Nonetheless some people are more interested in their position and numbering for any given/bizarre/weird/petty/superstitious reasons is up to them. Not everyone will care about such minor things, or even understand the rationale, but there is nothing stopping them showing interest in swapping positions whatever the reason. (These are probably the same thoughts our wives have when we come home with yet another 'boring torch' to add to our shelf collection of 50 that all do the same darn thing!)
Krono stated in the OP:
7/11/15 Keep in mind that these lights will be Serial Numbered...so...the sooner you get you name on the list, the lower the S/N you will receive!
Emphasis added by me on "LOWER", which does not necessarily mean EXACT! Probably best to define it as 'position in list (and possible, maybe, tentative, but not very likely, serial!)', instead of 'desired serial number position'.
But as you quoted Bugsy further noted:
[quote=bugsy36]
I will note that someone wants a certain number but think that both parties should state acceptance in the thread... [/quote]
I believe that is all most of us (including myself and many others) have been doing: Making a request to the other person, and the other person accepting. Bugsy has also very kindly already been annotating these requests against his update lists, which he offered to do.
We should personally only address Bugsy directly to annotate the list (not to swap them), AFTER both acceptances had been posted. Your post should be directed at anyone requesting Bugsy actually does the swap as this is the only thing he said he wouldn't do without Krono.
On the plus side, all this nonsense (granted it is ridiculous!), is driving engagement amongst individuals; and we are all chatting, PM'ing each other, and showing enthusiasm and passion for the hobby and groupbuy. I don't think this necessarily classifies as spam posts though.
Just my thoughts.
Hirsh