Postcrossing is not just exchanging cards for me but also meeting people, learning, understanding. Sometimes, when a card or/and the sender is interesting to me, I ask a question in my Hurray message. This way I have already exchanged interesting stories. But lately I almost never get a reply to my (clear) questions. It`s sad. Postcrossing is not a business for me. What are your experiences? Do you ask or answer questions?
@AnMiSa interesting post, as I just received my very first postcard just today, she was wonderful in answering my question and to the 5 others who are in receipt of my pc, all of them wrote a little messageā¦when they received mineā¦is this what you meantā¦?
Cheerio
Mdm samm
Some people answer my questions posed in my profile; most of them donāt. Early in my Postcrossing journey, I had one woman who answered ALL my questions, which was amazing. She did calligraphy and wrote the answers in a folded card. It was truly beautiful. I think this is a rare occurrence, though. I try to answer questions to those I send postcards to.
My experience also shows that people rarely respond to hurray messages.
Itās okay if youāre just thanking them, but upsetting if you had asked a question.
I recently asked the sender for an explanation about the image on the card and got no answer. The reason may be that user rarely checks his email or does not do it at all.
As for me, I am ready to answer questions if they ask
Iām sorry. I didnāt realize you were talking about Hurray messages. Iāve had a couple of people respond to Hurray messages, but most people donāt, in my experience. I think itās best to ask questions initially in your profile, and they may be answered in the postcards you receive.
I havenāt had anyone respond to a hurray message, but I donāt ask questions there. Itās never really occurred to me to respond to them, either. Iāll try to do better about that, though if lack of response when questions are asked bothers people.
I donāt message back in response to hurray messages - I joined Postcrossing to send and receive snail mail, something that provides a respite from computer/phone/screen time. I am not really interested in spending time on what is essentially emailing At the same time, I sometimes pose a question in the Hurray messages I write, not ever expecting a response (and Iāve never gotten a response to a Hurray). I spend a lot of time reading the profiles of the people I am sending to, selecting a card that I hope they will like, writing a thoughtful message on the postcard, choosing postage/stickers/rubber stamps for the cards, and writing nice messages of thanks for the cards I receive and that, I think, encompasses the goal of Postcrossing. Pen pals are for back and forth communication (and I have several of those, too )
I donāt normally respond to hurrays, but I do answer questions. Once I answered questions asked in a hurray message and some time later I met the recepient in person when I was in her country.
I donāt know why but I often get replies to my Hurray messages. And I sometimes answer back or write a comment under a postcard.
All that reminded me of the first Hurray message I received. It was from a Russian postcrosser. I thanked him back and asked about something. He replied and it all went on for some time. I had no idea that it wasnāt the norm. It seemed quite natural, sharing postcrossing wisdom and all that And then I had the same experience with the second card. The recipient was as inexperienced as I was. We thanked each other a lot Itās so strange to remember now.
Sometimes I ask questions in the hurray and get an answer to it at ~70%.
Most often I answer questions (~90%), depending on the context.
But in general questions are quite rare in hurray messages.
As the hurray messages come to email, people might read them at the moment when they are unable to go to PC site and answer to the message and therefore might forget the whole thing that has happened to myself too and if I notice it days after the āmomentā has already passed.
I reply to questions asked on the postcard sent, but donāt ask any myself. Itās a two-part exchange, and done. Tagsā¦ are another matter.
Consider that a lot of people donāt know that they can answer to those messages, and how to. They see it in their email. If they are not open for swaps, and they are not on the forum, chances are they are not aware that postcrossing is used for such online contacting. For years I had no idea that I could send a message.
There may be some specific cases where it makes sense to ask something. In general, I think asking is inviting the person to engage in chat with you. They might not be open to that, especially if they have switched off the swaps option, or they do not speak the language fluently, or they are not into online contacting. Iām giving these examples to suggest that we shouldnāt feel offended if someone doesnāt respond. Itās possible they are sitting and wondering āwhy is there a question in the thank you message in my email, how do I answer that, is it safe to answer thatā etc etc.
i try to not ask questions in my hurray message because i donāt want people to feel like they have to answer. i looked in my mail and ive received a reply to my hurray message this year once a month. ive never expected it but its nice that people feel like replying.
i almost never reply to hurray messages myself. i think ive did so once or twice because someone said something i really wanted to answer to.
i think iāve said this somewhere before and someone called me rude but quite some people say in their hurray message that they want to send me a card back or even wanna be penfriends. i take that as a compliment to my cards but its not something iām looking for or what postcrossing is about (for me). i dont reply to those messages. i love the sending and receiving once and on to the next. ive met some people through the forum that iām really happy with but the forum and the official site are two seperate things to me.
Usually I donāt ask questions in my Hurray message, as I guess that some people donāt read them (maybe they just see in their emails the āHurrayā message, but donāt click to see more). And itās also quite rare for people who I sent postcards to to ask me questions in their Hurray message.
However sometimes I ask questions in my postcards, and most of the time they answer in the Hurray message. And I have to say I am always (a bit) sad when they donāt answer the question, as it seems they didnāt read the postcardā¦
But I am also so excited when I receive the Hurray messages, as I am wondering what the person will say about the postcard. And itās always such a nice feeling when you see that the postcard you chose suits someone
Mal so Mal so.
Both I have answered questions and received answers as well as not responded and not received responses. I think it is fair either way and helpful not to feel too invested for saving yourself of Greif and making space for a pleasant surprise. Itās all coincide - a luck of your postcrossing draw. But I remember the surprise and joy the first time someone responded to my request in my bio. That was a great joy I hope I can remember!
I answer any question but i not send any question because often i not get answer. I not like to be angry so i decide not send questions
Itās a good decision. Perhaps now I will do the same. Well, almost the same I will ask questions if I need to, but wonāt get upset if I donāt receive an answer.
I donāt ask questions in my hurray messages, and to be honest I probably wouldnāt answer questions posed in a hurray question except in special circumstances.
I totally understand that Postcrossing is about connection, but to me the postcard and the hurray message is the extent of that connection. We arenāt entering into an ongoing correspondence and I guess I feel a bit sad that people actively expect that we are, because thatās a big expectation.
Yes I doā¦bothā¦Also when I register a postcard, I share a bitā¦as if Iām sending THEM a postcard.
I like hearing from people, the card itself is secondaryā¦