This is an interest check
Yeah, and part of what determines my "interest" is how reliable the person running the GB is likely to be (if you disagree, you may wish to join my upcoming group buy for a bridge in Brooklyn). Dropping off the planet during an IC isn't remotely the same as doing it during a GB, but you're certainly going to have overlap, and the
most responsible GB runners will
also be responsible IC runners.
It's especially eyebrow-raising when a user has logged into the site but hasn't updated. Personally, I'd have more confidence in someone who completely disappeared for months and then gave an adequate update when they returned than someone who's around but silent. The former may just have **** going on in their life, while the latter is more likely to be someone who falls into a "gets distracted or overwhelmed > misses deadline > feels ashamed > doesn't update because they feel ashamed > is further distracted or overwhelmed by the fact that they're now even farther behind the deadline" sort of cycle that just spirals out of control, because the longer it goes on, the harder it is for them to feel capable of just biting the bullet and digging themselves out of it.