Every so often–more often than I care to admit–I feel the need to edit my profile. And re-edit. And re-edit again.
Maybe it’s nervous mania. Maybe it’s insecurity. Maybe it’s the fact that it will be weeks or months before I hear a response, if any, to what I have written. Whatever the reason, I cannot stay away from the Edit my profile button for very long.
And I know that some of you are perfectly at ease with your “About…” sections and happily maintain the same profile text for eternity.
So, how often do you edit your profile? Why do you edit your profile? Do you update it only after major life changes (marriage, children, moving, etc.), or is your profile a living document of whatever you feel like sharing with the world that day?
I edit occasionally, maybe on average once a year. This can be because there have been changes in my life or I feel that I should word things differently so people won’t take offense at my profile. In the past, people have misunderstood what I was trying to say. Maybe it’s because English is not their native language, but I know if I’m not absolutely clear, some may think I’m being mean or grumpy or an all around bad sport.
Every so often, I do get postcards with messages telling me that they don’t know how to write to me because they don’t know my gender. That is one thing I will not edit my profile to clarify. I feel that my gender should have no bearing on how people write their messages on their postcards. (Although I find it very interesting when people start assuming what my gender is based upon my profession.)
Nor should you clarify it. You are absolutely correct.
I wonder how many other people have experienced this. I hope no one has faced any harassment because they decline to disclose a completely irrelevant detail like their gender.
Whenever I have to update it. I put what I’m currently watching/reading and if I have any pet updates to it or added interests. I think it’s helpful to read a profile that’s updated so I can get a sense of who I’m sending the postcard to and it makes it much more meaningful when I think about what to write and what type of card to send.
I didn’t know this was a thing! That’s interesting because how would the topic or tone of writing change if they knew what gender they were writing to? Seems like a piece of unneeded information when writing to someone, but maybe they are hung up on gender roles/stereotypes and write “accordingly.”
Agreed. I have no doubt that I alter my tone unconsciously when I am aware of the recipient’s gender, but I hope that if that’s the case, my message is not significantly different. I don’t think it would be, but it’s something to reflect on and be aware of, for sure.
I tried to write my profile in a way that I wouldn’t have to update it regularly and the core of it has remained the same. But I do edit it - and often. Sometimes I just re-phrase something. Other times I want to add something, which means I also have to delete something else. (I know my profile is long, but I am a chatty writer). Most often I edit it trying to make it less demanding.
Things I like tell also a lot about me, so I haven’t excluded them, but I have tried to express they aren’t just a wishlist. Once in a while I notice how carefully people read profiles and I get an urge to change something in mine. For me postcrossing is a happy place and a source of joy, so I want my profile to be welcoming and friendly.
I change my profile a few times a year. Generally when I have something to update like a new place I’ve traveled to. I don’t change my profile picture.
My constant struggle: making my profile concise and digestible, while also providing a wide variety of “keyword” clues of what to send (I really do appreciate anything, but I know it frustrates some people not to have any guidance in the form of a wishlist), and giving a friendly impression.
When I needed to write analytical essays in college a decade ago, I was decent at being concise, but the truth is that I am naturally a chatty writer as well. (I’m sure you’ve noticed.)
What I tend to edit most is actual information about me and my life. “No one needs to know the names of my pet rats,” I tell myself, and delete them. But then I realize that I love it when people introduce their pets by name in their profiles, so I add them back in, because it’s a tiny detail that adds to the impression that the sender is developing of me. (And who knows–maybe someone has a pet with a similar name and they want to write about it!)
I make small adjustments almost constantly, like when I got new spiders or one of them didn’t make it… (happens more often when you have very small ones!) I’m sure nobody cares about my exact number of pets, but I do, haha.
I’ve rewritten my profile completely several times in my 8 years of Postcrossing, sometimes because my English skills had developed and I wanted my profile to reflect that. But also when major life changes occurred or when I felt like it didn’t represent me anymore. I’m a young person after all and my life changes quickly.
I basically edit my profile when I feel the need, haha. My preferences change sometimes and just a while ago I decided one collection was enough for now, so I deleted that from my profile
I like to keep my profile up to date so I edit it now and then whenever I have something to add. The base stays same most of the time, but I add and change things when needed. Just yesterday I took off the direct swap info as I have lately done so many swaps here in forum I can take direct swaps right now. I also like to change the profile pic to match the season, although it is so small people probably don’t see the details.
Now and then I also do complete make-over, deleting all the text and writing something totally different. I just want to see how things will change and how people react to different profiles. But the one I have now is the base one. I kinda like that one pretty much, I have got some really funny cards from people sharing their own facts or commenting mine.
That is the reason I don’t have my gender visible either! I took it off after I was called by terms based on my gender (not in good way). Also I don’t use my real name on my profile and not for signing the cards I send, because I am highly uncomfortable of strangers calling me by my actual name (not a cultural thing. Just me. I do use my name for direct swaps though). I have got few comments about this and the fact my profile picture doesn’t show my face, but I hope the people will understand that not everybody is comfortable with everything, and despite of not knowing age, looks, gender or name you can still write a card for a person. There is plenty of other info on my profile to go on with.
I change my profile when something has changed, like the Inge Löök cards I’m hoping for after receiving another great I.L.card. Or if I want to delete some old or ad some new information.
I have a long profile and don’t expect people to read it all. Allthough I do experience that most of people do through their positive reactions on the cards I receive. I do have problems to keep it short, also on my cards. I allmost allways need all the space on the card to write
I change my profile picture anywhere from 2-6 times a year; whenever I take a picture I like for whatever reason or when I get a new pet, etc. And then I update the paragraph about the picture, obviously. The remainder stays the same with only minor updates regarding meetups and such. My only major edit was when I added a wishlist after having been told numerous times that it was so very difficult to find a card for me (Any & all postcards are welcome was apparently too difficult for many people!).
This reminds me that it’s time to change my profile picture again - I just got a new hamster, after all.
I edit my profile occasionally, mostly to clarify things that I notice are ambiguous. The other thing I sometimes do is change the order of things in my wishlist, just to see if it makes a difference (but then I don’t track if it actually does … ), and to take off things that I feel I have received enough of. And sometimes also to add new things.
Most people who have posted in here so far seem to change their profiles pretty regularly and keep it up to date, but it’s not too rare that I come across a profile that says “I’m new to this”, but they joined 5 years ago and have exchanged several hundred cards, or it says “I’m 34”, but their birthday shows they’re now 37. So some people apparently never look at their profile again once they filled it in. Which is fine, of course, just something I’ve noticed.
oh i love it when people talk about their pets on their profile. i have the name of my cat on my profile too and i get quite a few cards that say ‘greetings to you and scream’ or ‘greetings from my cat kitty to scream,’ something like that. i love it.
i edit my profile when i get new interests, mostly. sometimes things i liked last year i don’t enjoy that much anymore or sometimes i love new things. recently i added that i love decorated cards and i don’t know if it’s a coincidence but i’ve received a lot of decorated cards since then.
I’ve only made one major update a few month after joining. Else I only update some details or re-phrase if necessary. Shortly I added an external link with more information about me after receiving feedback on the sandbox. It won’t disturb those who want to know what cards I like, but allow a bit more details for those who are curious.
That is basically the only reason why I edit it. I don’t edit it very often and it’s usually making the same exact points but trying to make them more clearly. I would not update it in terms of things like marriage, children, jobs as I don’t want to have that type of information on my profile - initially I was very, very careful about not being recognisable, but then I added the explanation about my changes of location and if someone knows me they would recognise me immediately ahaha. On the other hand, I have no problems disclosing my gender, but I would not mention my exact age or put my date of birth on it.
Which is funny now that I think about it, I think profiles should be personal and not just about cards, but at the same time I don’t care that much about factual things like how many kids or pets people have. I guess I am interested in what people like to do and what they are passionate about, rather than their family status.
Seriously? I never got such comments and I am at the other hand of the spectrum, I cannot understand how people can be comfortable having their picture on a public website… (not criticising anyone, but I thought it was obvious that it is a very sensitive thing and to me it is more natural to choose to avoid it, though obviously some will not mind).
I think I used to have penguins, and got fed up with all the penguin cards, so changed it to parrots (something like that). I once saw a 8,000-er with ‘please don’t send me any more lighthouses, I have enough cards of those’, and thought ‘why doesn’t he just change his profile’?
(I’m sure you’ve noticed.)
The remainder stays the same with only minor updates regarding meetups and such. My only major edit was when I added a wishlist after having been told numerous times that it was so very difficult to find a card for me (Any & all postcards are welcome was apparently too difficult for many people!).
), and to take off things that I feel I have received enough of. And sometimes also to add new things.