By “unwashable” stamps, do you mean ones that are very difficult to remove? If so, it is not that we like doing so, but that is how all American stamps are sold for many years now, we have no choice!
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I assume user meant orange barcodes and/or stamp-ink from the stamping machines - both happen to end on the pictureside of cards from time to time, and on cards from the US quiet regularly (35%?)
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I also write the ID on the left side because with experience, I think it is the place that is least likely to receive a mark from the post office. And I frame it in red.
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I write the ID on top and vertical in the middle, for the sorting machines may erase text on the left hand side as well as on the right hand side.
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To me, receiving a blank postcard in an envelope with a separate message also enclosed just sounds like someone did you the kindness of sending you a postcard to send on to someone else—maybe even with the original stamp from the envelope pasted on & a story to tell!
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I get really triggered when I see IDs above, and even worse, below the address. I cannot understand how someone can think it is a safe place and it won’t get confused with a postal code or confuse the postal sorting in some way. It happens so often that I guess I should stop worrying, but it really makes zero sense to me. I don’t complain, but maybe once or twice I politely mentioned that I think it’s risky.
I can’t count how many times I thought there was no ID, and then I found it below (or above) the address. A few times I was filling in the “missing ID” form on the website when I noticed it 
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Enough people print out the address that I now automatically look for the ID there in those cases. The rare times that I print an address, I tape the printed ID along the left as usual for me.
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Please (everybody), mention it (in a polite way). As a handler of sorting machines and occasional manual sorter I can tell you: the adress side - esp. the lower area - is no good place for an ID
PS: I always do it, most times as a PS
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Could you share how you write it politely?
I also try to mention it, especially now someone hid the id under my name and address, and there was some sorting numbers printed on top of it, it was really hard to see the number.
Some members think it’s meant to be on top of the address, because that is how it comes when printed.
(I ask this, because many times I’m told I’m rude, it’s not what I say but how I say it, no one telling how it’s more polite then 
)
I write it like this; By the way, you had printed the id number on top of my address, it was very hard to see it, as there is some delivery numbers printed over, I thought knowing this will help other members register your cards more easily (the id number is better in the message side).
But, I know someones get defensive only when someone “corrects” them.
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Yay thanks for confirming it is not a great idea to do that!
Well I can’t guarantee that my receivers will think it’s polite enough, but I tend to try and put it on myself, like
“by the way, I always get worried when I see the ID number written near the address - I worry that it will be confused with a postal code! Perhaps you can write it on the other side.”
Maybe change “it was very hard to see it” with “I had difficult it finding it” - but I don’t think your phrasing comes across as rude. Maybe also instead of “you put the ID on top” you can be more neutral with “the ID was on top”. I dont know if it is a good technique but in real life I am experimenting with this, not saying “you did”. But also you explain nicely that you are saying that to help, so I think it’s quite okay…
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This is good advise, thank you, I try to remember this, we actually discussed in another forum, how Finns say “you did, I did, she did” and some thought it’s very accusative, while we thought “there was” is too vague, we wanted ask did I do so, if yes, we thought, why didn’t you say so then but I see what you mean, it looks more neutral if I write “the ID was/when the id is on top of my address”.
(It so fun one president candidate didn’t use “I”, but passive, and it’s talked and analysed in news after talk why did he used such form 
he was talking about what he had done, but used a form which didn’t clearly point who he was talking about.)
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My last PS I could found was
PS: As a postal worker, I recommend to put the ID not in the lower half. Sorting machines may read the numbers as postal code and might detour your cards.”
So you could make out of that 'a postal worker told me not to or recommended me or also international guidelines (because I am sure it is out there somewhere in a manual gg). (That way, it’s only you being helpful by forwarding some useful official info)
And if someone gets pi*** just because they get some valid advice - well that’s their problem (and this is coming from someone who hates to be critizised). I mean, are they getting pi*** when someone warns them about loose shoelaces too? ((A)social media postings not only during the heyday of the pandemic make me believe there are such folks out there)
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I think you should continue doing whatever brings you the most joy, but I also think it’s worth noting that the things that you find ugly are part of the fun of postcards for other people and many Postcrossers specifically like the wear postcards get on their journey. For example, this week I received a beautiful bird maxicard (AU-918461) with one of those long orange barcodes stamped on the front side of the card (the photo doesn’t show it because I was too lazy to replace the pre-uploaded image), which you would feel is ugly but I think is a fun reminder of the journey this card made. Actually, I already have this whole maxicard set in perfect unused condition but I am thrilled to add this travelled one to my album — After all, with the cost of Australian postage, if I weren’t interested in the travelling part of postcards it would be much cheaper just to buy myself the beautiful mint-condition cards!
Even when a card comes really destroyed, it’s fun for me to think about the journey it took! I received one that I’m convinced was somehow fully dipped in perfume and I still wonder about it sometimes!
(That said, I personally always cover the stamp/postmark of the maxicards I send with paper and washi tape so any machine stamps don’t get them.)
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Continue to participate! It’s one person out of thousands that you will interact with. We are all from different cultures, most that do not have Rnglish as a first language. So that paired with culture tends to throw communication a little off.
Happy postcrossing!!
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I don’t know what to think of… But a card arrived to a member. Without a Huuray message (empty) and the member deleted the picture. I don’t know why, but it gives me the feeling, that the member was really disapointed with the card 
Do they seem to have a habit of deleting card photos? It is possible that they are, indeed, a picky person. You did the best you could, time to move on!
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It seems so. Every sent of them has a picture, but like the half of the received ones has none.
I don’t know why people delete pictures?
The profile was kinda special in interests. The member wrote down they like a special kind of sports and musicians, who are not (well) known. For card wishes, they only wrote a little bit general.
I didn’t remember what card exactly I sent, but maybe a nice view card. I always try my best for a matching card, but sometimes I can’t find one, but I always try to send a nice view card or like this instead.
I searched the member’s wall and it’s interesting, what kind of cards are shown: A lot of pretty cards, but also “ugly” ad cards and view cards, just as mine I sent maybe. Seems like the member has a very picky taste. But it’s okay. Everybody has his/her own taste/style.
I move on. People can do whatever they want, it’s not my business.
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You can ask the member himself. He is member of this forum.
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Maybe he didn’t like the photo quality, wants to show the card with “travel scars” or you mixed the image up with another card, and he’s going to upload a new image?
I can’t speak to the empty hurray, except to say that there are members who never write them, or who skip them when busy, so it may not have anything to do with you.
Of course, others send an empty hurray when they get a card so awful they have nothing to say about it, but it seems unlikely a view card would cause such offense (unless you sent something controversial and forgot.)
Please remember there is no common agreement of that an empty hurray has a negative meaning. It’s mostly known here on the forum, and even here not everyone agrees it means bad things.
(And if you don’t know, other members can see your sent cards, so they will know who this person is.)
It will happen to everyone that some receiver won’t like the card. Of course it’s something we don’t need to know, as the card is sent, and nothing can be done to that card anymore.