I totally agree with you. However, every time I receive a one line postcard, or even an empty one, I read the profile because it makes me feel curious. Generally I’ve found then short or empty profiles, or those who said that they were not very fluent in English, or that advice that it was a straight translation by Google translator.
But once I got one whose profile was really demanding, without references to any linguistic issue and with TWO LONG paragraphs explaining why she wanted a long message regarding a list of suggested topics and the drawbacks and shame on you ideas regarding one liners.
She had written “Happy postcrossing”.
Not even a greeting, date or her bare name at the end. Happy postcrossing and that’s that.
I’m sorry, but yes, in that particular case I felt rather disappointed.
As student of English as foreign language, I want to tell you I love you for that idiom, “(idiom)” included.
Telling something essential on the small space of a postcard requires to focus very much and maybe even then it cannot be told in a few lines. Perhaps that is the reason why people just write some nice greetings instead of going into detail.
I am generally satisfied with the texts people write to me. They usually tell a bit about the place they live, the books they read or their families incl. pets.
Have the texts you get improved meanwhile?
Furthermore, I would not write everything about me to a stranger. That should be something one has to keep to in mind. One does not go outside and talk to strangers telling them everything right away.
Postcrossing is a nice brief chat. Just like others suggested, penpalling might be another option for the op.
@PatriciaOH
I’m really sorry about that. This really is annoying though!
I love “collection and connection.” I skew towards connection. Having a great collection of the connections is the cherry on top. But many connections started with collections… hope that makes sense…
Oh no wow…. Maybe it is the ink…, it perhaps depends on the color. I do not want to sound mean, perhaps they have serious anxiety issues and I am sure that is no fun. But I can understand that could sound a bit strange for a request.
Kanosis, me too - I do have questions on my profile just as prompts - I appreciate when people put those too, because some days I just feel blah and don’t know what to write. I was really excited when a German postcrosser answered my question prompt about her favorite dessert which was Strawberry Eis. Not having heard of this, of course I googled it. Woohoo, the Germans have created a fabulously interesting dessert that I am definitely going to try if I get back to Germany! I encourage the ones like me without a clue to look it up. That kind of stuff is fun, that’s why I like learning about something a little different than what’s in my world.
I like my senders to put whatever they want to write about. I once had someone write how she threw a party for her child. It was so cute because it brought back memories. Reading how she prepared a children’s party was so endearing.
I don’t think I ever wrote on what people requested. @GrammieSuz
You haven’t been on an American bus ride. Americans give you their whole life story on a bus. I love to take the bus in NYC. I learn fascinating things about NY’ers on the bus ride.
I am guilty of this sometimes. I always read people’s profile (poo poo on those people who don’t put anything in their profile!) and then I try to say something about what they wrote or about their country. But more often than not I end up just using a boilerplate about my name and where I live. I want to write something with more substance but I just freeze up and have no idea what to say. Also I worry they won’t be able to read it because my handwriting is awful. I am practicing but it doesn’t seem to be getting any better
I’m happy about every beautiful (to my taste) postcard!
Nice stamps make it even better!
Special postmarks and/or lovely decorations: what a bonus!
Other than that only the ID and my address have to be on the card.
Ideally with my name written correctly. Which, sadly, seems an impossible task for more and more people. Even though it says my name in my profile and the address…
The wrong spelling of my first name also happens to me very often - we have the same one, Robin67.
But I don’t find that as bad as making Bille into Billie
I think, if someone can “copy” the address, they should also be able to copy the name!
I also forgot to mention: I usually write as much as the space on the card allows, but I sometimes use more than 1 stamp and leave space for special postmarks and I like to decorate too.
But if the connection to most other Postcrossers happens only once, the text, for me, is not so important.
i love to paste many stamps from my country… Yet i still write few words. For me its depends on people opinion. Few are okay with it. Few arent. So its universal and open. Cheers
I wrote it wrong. It’s spaghetti eis. Ice cream is shaped like pasta, strawberry sauce is poured on top with coconut sprinkled on top like (like parmesan). This is all placed on top of a blob of whipped cream. Noting like this in the US that I’m aware of, so it is new to me.
Still wondering that you do not know spaghetti icecream with strawberry sauce as ketchup.
By the way it was invented by an Italian owner of an ice café somewhere in southern Germany, I think in Mannheim.
This really is annoying though!
