I’m sorry but if you don’t know enough English to be able to type “Thank you”, I don’t think you should be on this site.
Empty hurray messages are disappointing, however, they don’t tell you anything. I try to not assume that it means they don’t like my card or something like that because I just don’t know and I have no way of knowing.
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That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it? As well as potentially xenophobic?
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How can one know what they are joining into, if they don’t even know the basic phrase “thank you” 
I don’t believe it is the reason for an empty hurray, or if it is, they really should not join if they show no interest in the communication part, like learning to say how to thank even.
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Harsh or not, but I agree with @lncrou7 as the community guidelines states, and I quote:
Use English.
In order for others to understand you, please use English in your profile, comments, etc. Quote ends.
In my opinion if someone who can’t write or understand English wants to join Postcrossing, they should have someone there to help them to translate the texts into English.
However I don’t think that the lack of English skills is the main reason for empty hurrays. The reasons for them can be various and only the one who sends it knows their reason for it.
I can’t even remember have I ever received one so if I did, it wasn’t world shaking to me because can’t remember it! 
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i recently got two empty hurray messages and whilst it doesn’t make me lie away at night it is a bit disappointing. i always try to choose a fitting card and write a bit and then there’s not even a thank you.
and these people have profiles in perfect english to that was not it. they did however both have the exact same sentence in their profile. oh and whilst checking this they also have the same name. and the mailbox on their map is also in the same place. i think i discovered something thanks to this topic 
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He also sent me empty hurray. I think he’s only interested in collecting stamps.
So far I wrote 2 empty hurray 
to those who sent me meet up card without messages, only signature of all people who attended the meeting. I even can’t identify the sender 
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How is that xenophobic? I don’t have any dislike or prejudice against them? It’s basically in the rules that you have to use English. You don’t need to have good English, just a little English will do, but if you don’t even know “Thank you”, how are you even going to use this site the way it is intended to be used?
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Since there is no way of preventing anyone in the world (including small children) from signing up, it’s pretty pointless to debate anyone’s knowledge of, and use of English. If they have no English, they’re not going to read the rules in English that they should, or have to, use English. Even if they have to click on something to show that they have read the rules, that would just be like any other website’s T&C’s, just click Yes and you’re in.
Many many people use this site for stamp collecting, even though it’s not a stamp collecting site. Many other people use this site just to rack up numbers sent and have no interest in communicating. They’re the ones who just write an ID number on sent cards and put it in the post. More or less goes the same goes for the ones who write Happy Postcrossing and put it in the post.
There’s nothing they can do about any of this. The hope and aim is for global communication and this is largely achieved. Trying to somehow ban people who don’t know how to say Thank You, or don’t want to say Thank You, or can’t be bothered to say Thank You, or don’t realise that Thank You would be appreciated, would be futile. And against the spirit of Postcrossing. IMO.
I know, as I type, that I’m counter-arguing my original post. I’ll try not to raise this particular aspect of sending and receiving postcards again, but I can’t guarantee that. 
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Yes. I think the one who doesn’t use English, is the xenophobic one, if someone has to be.
They show their dislike to other persons culture, language and/or origin by passive aggressively using their own language or no language at all. For me, intentionally using a language the receiver doesn’t understand, or playing mute, is arrogant.
And yes, someone only collect whatever, and you can join even if you don’t understand, but it doesn’t mean I should be fine with it, and that should just be accepted that there are these mute hoarders hanging around in wrong environment 
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I prefer to think, it’s a technical issue. Also because some people told me that in rare cases in browser on the phone you don’t have the message window (probably it was years ago with previous version of the website). Sometimes it might happen by accident, like wrong click, and then if you only wanted to write plain ty, it’s more awkward to write a separate message for just that. I’m judging by that in half of empty hurreys I either get a message after, or comment, or card favourited.
About the language issue: I encountered profile full written in German recently, so I wrote postcard in German as well, asking in the end to translate profile. User was very confused, because she uses automatic translation in browser and assumed everything she writes gets translated in English automatically too.
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What an image! Could be some creatures from a horror show. Thanks for the laugh.
Yes, I think this creates confusion for some users.
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What about having a condition when typing is a bit difficult? I encounter quite some people with MS, for example, they have standard printed text on cards (which is also very frown upon), and not always explain why they do that
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I simply write something like Thank you for the card and move on. I will never see these people again.
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I encountered some users like her as well, I always tell them on the card that a part in English would help everybody else to understand. What they do with that Info is up to them, but so far all translated their profile.
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Yes, I do the same. But also I don’t see much problem to message or write someone in any language there is in google translate, it’s so easy nowadays. With 100+ languages dying every year, why not keeping your own culture, and English is not that old as ‘common use language’, even universal postal union default language was French till they add English only in 1994
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I agree. I wish postcrossing was more tolerant towards profiles and cards written in other languages. I can understand why Postcrossing doesn’t want to make the website available in other languages but it seems overly strict to me to insist that profiles and cards are written in English. More acceptance of other languages might also encourage people from some rarer countries to join, where knowledge of English might not be so good. I personally would love to receive a card in a language I have no knowledge of and then have the fun of trying to decipher it. I say that on my profile but it hasn’t happened yet. Xute, if you ever get my profile, please write to me in Russian 
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I don’t think anyone is sitting in front of their computer thinking “I dislike all other cultures! I’ll use my own language! Take that, Postcrossing!” They’re probably used to bypassing the language barrier in other sites, and are doing the same thing here (Google Chrome translations, etc). I bet most would translate their profile if asked.
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I’ve been thinking about this ever since I read it this morning, and then had a light-bulb moment. IF empty hurray messages are a sign of passive aggression, THEN so are empty profiles! I never thought of it that way, and want to thank you for this insight, it’s great. Empty profile = I don’t care about you, any of you, I’m here so just send me a postcard.
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You’re welcome.Yes, partly I think that way about empty profiles.
But, also “I don’t tell anything about me, so how do you start a conversation” -way. Depending on my mood and daily attitude.
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I know what you mean. I send postcards in batches nowadays with all this filthy weather out there, I have to be in the mood (to go to the letterbox to post them). Then I’ll get two or three head-drooping profiles in a row, enough to put me off for another few days. I used to dread empty profiles and even (when I was new) get upset by them. Now, I’m actually looking forward to the next one, I’ve got the perfect card lined up already. 
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