Ryan,
I just finished 10th in a tounament I barely sat in at. What happened is this, I signed up for a Freeroll 15 minutes before it began. In the meantime the spouse had other ideas on how to use my free time (you married people will understand). I figured if I closed out of Gpoker before the tourney begins I would not be seated. But about 30 minutes into the tourney I saw I was seated and proceeded to play. However, I think when people do not respond (within 2 minutes) to the question of do you want to be seated they should be dropped from the tourney. Also, same when it changes you from table to table. It is not fun, or fair, playing tourneys where people sit out. But things do happen in "real life" to call us away at times. By the way, another individual who never played one hand finished even higher.