Yes and it’s quite a complex algorithm that balances out 800,000+ members in 207 countries and has been running for 15 years.
There have been lots of discussions about the challenges & considerations of making it all work if you read through the Forum threads.
Why not one or two of the first cards to the own country?
Boring, if small country with not very big choice of cards.
Not every country is small!
Neighbouring countries may not be very active, that would mean a small number of addresses available.
The same with “exotic”, however we define this. Rare countries are, by definition, rare, certainly not enough addresses would be available for every new member signing up.
And the same problem - availability of addresses - could be an issue for own country. Not for the big ones, but for smaller ones, yes.
Who has chosen to receive cards from his own country, can, of course, start with them. But not everybody wants. I don’t.
Agree in general. But neighbouring countries are needed just once for one person. With the 6-st addresse already all things starting to be like for everybody, not newbie special.
But you’d be fine with 3 to Russia (2 as neighbour and 1 as category 5), 1 to Germany and 1 to China.
If closest areas of Russia, not Vladivostok…
I would like Estonia and Lithuania.
But its not for me anyway. I have send already 7 cards.
OK, receiwed are just 2…
But Estonia and Lithuania are not very active countries, especially Estonia. That means Estonian addresses are not available very often.
If the algorithm would work like you propose. the biggest chances for neighbouring country for you would be 2 addresses in Russia. Adding distance into consideration makes it even more complicated, which is not a desired feature for such things.
My country is less active than, for example, Lithuania. That is not the situation where newbies of very big country wants something from the small one. And we have 4 neighbours, if not counting those, with just the sea borders.
Will see what will happen with my first card to Russia (I got that addresse as 3-rd). That’s very farh away, in the Siberian part. I’m sorry that didn’t write the addresse in Russian- maybe should be faster.
“Exotic,” like beauty, can be in the eye of the beholder. My first card received was from Finland. I thought that was so exotic! Finland is one of my dream countries since I was a child (even more since I have had the good luck to travel there), and there are not so many people who live there. I had no idea at the time how active Finland is in Postcrossing.
If you would like to receive cards from countries that send fewer than Latvia, I suggest looking around in the Forum or using the “search” function to find someone from a country you are interested in who is open to swaps and trades. One of the great things about Postcrossing is that newbies and “old-bies” alike have many options other than Officials!
Thanks, I will think about such.
depends where you are.
I am happy with postcards from my own country but not sent as many as received yet.
Hello! I’m from Russia. if you want to receive a postcard from Russia, then I can send it to you in exchange for a postcard from your country)
I wanted write a message to you but unsuccesfuly. It wasn’t send.
Thank you but I know all that. My message was stopped, saying that messages can send just those who have at least 1 sended postcard. I have but my repicient- not.
This issue only occurs on the main site. In the forum, people can send personal messages even if they have not sent any cards yet. Maybe try again?