When you upload photos of postcards on postcrossing, do you write a description?
I recently sent some postcards of art pieces. One of the people who received them, re-uploaded the postcard with better quality and added the name and the artist as a description. To be honest, I found that interesting because sometimes when I browse on the main site looking at postcards I’d like to know what I’m looking at. On the other hand I can’t be bothered😅 Also, I feel like some of the mystery is lost this way between the sender and the receiver. Either way, I don’t mind so I don’t spend time thinking about it.
But I’d like to here your thoughts about it. Do you add descriptions? Are you the archiver type? Or do you want to spend as little time on the computer as possible?
Personally, I wonder why people don’t add a description of the card that is uploaded.
At some time, through the years, I have started to comment saying what is shown (if I know!!!), as I love to browse the walls so much and sometimes I don’t even know what I “like”!
I have even added descriptions, when browsing the walls .
Sometimes I add a description when I think the image needs context, to remind myself of what is written on the front of the postcard (if it’s in other language), or when I saw the artist’s name on the back. But sometimes I forget to do all that too…
When I upload a card that I am sending, I have wanted to add a description, but I cannot see how/where that is done.
Sometimes, when I get a “Hooray” message after a card has been received, I can remember what’s important about the card, or have another one to get the information from, so I add the description at that stage: when the card has been received.
Only on rare occasions has a recipient added the description. And I must admit to being guilty of that too. This is likely because it would take another step to get there to do it.
So, two questions:
How can I add the description when I upload a card that I am sending?
Can it be seamless to add the description when a card is received and reported; or, even received and uploaded (if the sender hasn’t uploaded it)?
I have a blog for my own personal post card collection (which includes some cards received in Postcrossing) that has descriptions and more historical information. Its fine if someone wants to add the card I send them to their own blog, but I’ll leave that task to them.
I wish the sender could add a comment when uploading since I sometimes use cards made from my own photos. Instead, I try to remember to add a comment when it is registered.
Some years ago I started uploading the pictures of received postcards that were missing from my wall and I also added description of places or artists (just copying what was written at the back) but sometimes I forget… I also add when a card is handmade or if it’s a greeting card instead of a postcard.
When I have the time for it I’ll have a look at all my received postcards and add the infos to those that are missing
Only the recipient can write the description the sender does not have that field.
How can such a description destroy the magic between sender and recipient?
Honestly, I find it too much work and unnecessary unless it’s some sort of translation that the sender provided (which I want to remember or find interesting).
I wouldn’t say that it destroys the magic, that’s too far. But in my opinion it does kinda ruin the mystery. We get a random address and we choose a postcard specifically for this person. If I put all those information of the postcard then the object itself loses its value. What’s the point of acquiring something if the details are so easily accessible? Photos are different in my opinion because how can you become interested in something if you can’t even see it?
But again, I don’t think it’s that serious. Just because I see it this way doesn’t mean that it’s not helpful for others.
1000% in camp pro-description here, and I wish it would be both promoted and used more…
it shows respect for artists, creators, publishers to mention their names
it is interesting to learn what location/artist/custom … one can see when wandering through the galleries
I ususally add all the printed information of a received card to the description box (exceptions are too-long semi-novels or different scripts (yes, that could be seen as ignorant or lazy). For sent/registered cards, I’ll add the printed info I have as comment, which I have saved before in the photoscan I upload (and since this year in my excel-statistics)
Again - regarding some wonderful great strange … cards, for me it really is a loss not being able to learn more about it easily (yes, I know I could do a ‘visible search’ or ask the cards’s senders/recipients.)
after reading all of these comments I went into my sent Wall and commented on my postcards describing what they are photos of and where they were taken. I’ll try to remember this in the future. Very interesting back and forth in this topic.
I agree. Very interesting topic and I think I may have overlooked the “Description” portion when I upload my photos. I’ll try to remember to write a brief description if it’s a landmark or something important.
I’ll try to remember this in the future. Very interesting back and forth in this topic.
Very interesting topic and I think I may have overlooked the “Description” portion when I upload my photos. I’ll try to remember to write a brief description if it’s a landmark or something important. 