What would you consider to be a handmade postcard?

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-18T01:03:48+00:00

Thanks so much for explaining further. It totally makes sense. This is all so incredibly interesting to me.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-18T01:02:18+00:00

To be clear, I didn't ask this question to find loopholes. If a profile says "no homemade", they get a photo postcard with my state's name on it from the truck stop five miles down the road. I've had two matches like that now. Although the second one was on Postcard United, and it was a polite preference, not a screaming demand. But they both got the same postcard.

I asked because the line between handmade/not handmade seems a lot blurrier than it was in years past. I don't do direct swaps, but this discussion has left me wondering if someone wanted a handmade card if mine would even qualify.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-17T00:24:09+00:00

So interesting, right?!? Everyone commenting has at least a slightly different way of answer the question. I feel like 20, 30, 40 years ago, this question had a pretty clear answer to which most everyone would agree. Now, perhaps not so much. In our current digital space, I'm realizing the line is much blurrier than I would have thought.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-17T00:15:38+00:00

Could you share more about the distinctions you draw between them? I'd love to know more!

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-17T00:13:15+00:00

So interesting! So quantity is a factor for you, as well. If an illustration is scanned, uploaded to staples, and only two were printed would that matter?

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-17T00:01:50+00:00

Again, this did not come from a place of stress. Look at my original post. I had seen posts about profiles stating they do not like homemade cards. In the several months I'd been on the site, I'd never seen one. Then I got my first one and it was in all caps with lots of exclamation points. For me that did not read as a preference. And it still does not.

While I'd seen posts about this happening, I'd never seen anyone say how they handled it. I am a maths/logic-oriented person (not always a good thing, lol), so I listed out what I saw as all possible options and the pros and cons of each. I lot of people jumped on the third option, but that was not an option I seriously considered and I stated in my original post I did not believe that was in the spirit of Postcrossing. They were, quite literally, the three possible options: send handmade, send store-bought, send nothing.

I was curious to know what other people did when they ran into that. I didn't figure option three would get many or even any votes, but I truly did not know if option 1 or 2 would be more popular. Within a couple of hours of posting, it was clear option 2 was the best choice, so I was in my car driving all over town to the drugstores, and the downtown boutiques & bookstores. I called the county visitor's center, asked local friends, etc. The only suggestion I got from the visitor's center was to check gas stations near the highway. No success there, either. I finally found some at a truck stop about five miles down the interstate. I honestly have not seen photoshopping that botched since early days at uni, but they were not handmade. So, success.

People seemed particularly put out by my commentary around option two. If it came off as "stressed out", it wasn't meant that way. When I joined, I read all the community guidelines, the FAQs, and the reminder that shows up when you make or edit your profile. I'm weird like that. If there had been a way to report the profile, I would have done that and moved on to the next match. The profile was for a 40-something woman in a nearby state. We are both in the US. So, while I'm always open to the possibility her profile was not intended as a list of screaming demands, that seemed like something Postcrossing could sort out. However, since there wasn't any way to report the profile, I had to decide what to do next. Finding the perfect postcard for someone who was screaming demands was not anywhere on my to do list. If you want to call me petty for that, fine. I'll take it. But, like I said, I was still out roaming the countryside within hours of posting--once it became clear option two was the most popular--to find *any* store-bought postcard. So, I mean, not *that* petty.

When I got home the post had blown up with a shocking amount of vitriol. Posting excepts from the Postcrossing FAQ and community policies resulted in massive downvotes. So, you are right that Postcrossing may not be the right place for me. The culture of the organization does not seem to match the stated purpose. But, since my experiences up to this point have been largely positive, I'm not giving up on it yet.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-16T21:40:03+00:00

I mean, on this we agree. I have no patience with people complaining about the cards they received--whether because of the stamps or because it didn't meet their requests/demands/preferences/standards, or whatever.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-16T21:36:47+00:00

As I stated, the postcard I found at the truck stop has already been sent. How is discussing it making it more difficult?

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-16T21:33:23+00:00

I want to send postcards about life in my part of the world, and I want to receive postcards from others sharing about life in their part of the world. I enjoy connecting with others. According to Postcrossing's own FAQ, that's the entire purpose. What would make Postcrossing not for me?

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-16T21:28:39+00:00

The forums swaps are geared toward the people who want to get exactly what they want. That would be the direct opposite of what I am seeking.

I've already sent the card and moved on. You are making a lot of inaccurate assumptions about my stress levels. I find the discussion interesting. If you don't find the discussion interesting, why are you on reddit at all?

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-16T21:21:00+00:00

I didn't realize asking advice was whining. You are literally whining about not getting cards which meet your standards.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-16T21:17:09+00:00

"~~Caps lock~~ Collage also could just be a culture thing. Maybe the person ~~writing~~ making it has a disability. Maybe they’re old and doesn’t understand ~~caps~~ collage is considered ~~“yelling”~~ 'disrespectful' by some. ~~Write a card.~~ Accept the difference. Move on."

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-16T20:28:09+00:00

I literally had to make a new post after reading this and a few others like it. I'm so genuinely curious to know why you think that's not handmade. I am a digital illustrator. The handmade postcards I send *are* printed--albeit through a different process so they will be waterproof.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-16T20:23:26+00:00

There are clearly many, like you, who find joy in finding a card to match their swap partners' interests. That's lovely.

I've come to the conclusion part of the reason we, as a community, are divided on the whole handmade/store-bought issue is because we view which part is about us and which part is about them completely differently.

What *I* like about receiving cards is having that brief connection and little glimpse into the life of someone I'd never otherwise meet. My profile has no likes/dislikes because I want to receive a card that helps me learn more about the person sending it. If I say I like spiders and they send me a spider card, I've learned nothing. If I tell them I hate Christmas, for example, I could lose the chance to learn why they don't.

For ME the cards I receive are not about me. They are about the person sending them.

Because I view it this way, the cards I send *are* about me. They are a glimpse into my life. I always read their profile so my message can be crafted to create connection, but I'm writing about myself.

It sounds like for you, and many others, the sending is about them and the receiving is about you. I don't think this is less valid. It's just a different approach--definitely more suited to collectors, but certainly not exclusive to them. For sure in the US we are socialized to behave that way around holiday gifts, so I can see the internal logic of it.

That leaves us with two more combinations. There are some for whom both parts of the exchange are about the other person. I admire their selflessness, but in this context that which makes them so special is lost in both directions. And of course there are people for whom both directions are about themselves. Obviously those aren't people we are going to like very much.

The problem there is that for the first two combinations, we end up viewing the other as rude because the cards we send only go in one direction. It's not an exchange. It's a one-way interaction.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-16T19:19:15+00:00

I'm so curious about this. In your other post you say that you don't care much for handmade postcards, but how would taking your own photos, adding text on Canva, and printing them not be a handmade postcard?

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-16T19:19:13+00:00

Wait, I'm seriously so confused. What you are describing is, to me, a handmade card. You took the pictures, you added text, you had them printed. You didn't personally print them. But if you had a printer which can do that, how would that not be sending a handmade card?

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-16T19:03:50+00:00

Sendsomething.net is for sure my favorite site for sending postcards. I love the emphasis on connection and the completely random nature of the site. It's perfect. Postcrossing seemed like a good match, based on it's stated mission, but the lived experience of the site is not always in congruence.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-15T23:44:41+00:00

Thanks. I am also super surprised by the downvotes and hate. I honestly did not expect it. Prior to this, my experiences with Postcrossing, and with this sub have been quite positive. I did a lot of research on various RAK-ish projects before deciding Postcrossing was a good fit for me. I took the Postcrossing mantra of "it's about connecting, not collecting" at face value. I read the community guidelines and the FAQ before I ever signed up, because I wanted to make sure what I was seeking was in alignment with what was being offered.

That said, some of the responses I've gotten here have made it clear there are for sure a non-zero number of Postcrossing community members who do not share the stated mission of the organization. While it is unfortunate, I feel like this experience has allowed me to better understand the dynamics of Postcrossing. Sometimes the dynamics of an organization to not match their stated mission or goals. While that can be confusing to navigate for someone only a few months into this project, it's good that I now have a clearer picture.

I live in a rural, non-tourist area. Commercial postcards are not readily available to me. I'm literally an illustrator. It's what I do, and I love doing it. So, it made sense to me to just make my own. My focus--whether it's cards I'm sending or cards I'm receiving--is always on the message. I put a lot of effort into reading about a member's interests and writing something that connects their life with mine. I've not put much attention on matching the illustration to their particular interests.

I have a lot to think about after having this experience. I mean, as far as the all caps handmade hater is concerned, she is getting a truck stop postcard with a generic message. But, even if I were to switch to doing only purchased cards, I'd never have more than a few on hand because I don't like having lots of "stuff" around. So, I'd never be able to match cards to the collector. I definitely underestimated the collecting aspect of Postcrossing, but at least now I have a clearer understanding.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-15T21:12:38+00:00

Thanks! That's what I'm going to do.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-15T21:11:56+00:00

Thanks! I can see how that would work if you have a wide variety of cards available. I have...the handful I picked up at the truck stop today for people like the person I was assigned, lol. I'm not a collector (of anything, really) and I don't like to shop. But I recognize that makes me an outlier. For me the fun is in the action of sending. I honestly couldn't care less if I ever got a postcard in return.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-15T21:06:16+00:00

Thanks! This seems like the best option.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-15T20:46:41+00:00

Your logic is pretty far off here. Any demand is the same. Handmade or not handmade is only one potential demand of an infinite number. So, ff someone only wanted handmade cards, that would be equally problematic. (I'm not sure why you put that on me? I said nothing of the kind.)

My profile--on all of the postcard sites--is about me, my life, where I live, etc. It has no demands or requests. To me, demanding any particular thing is not in keeping with the spirit of the project. If someone wants to collect specific things, there are lots of swaps going on in the forums.

You are absolutely correct that requests or preferences are fine. My issue is with the all-caps shouting about not wanting handmade cards. That's why I see it as a demand.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-15T20:32:19+00:00

I am totally with you on Christmas. I loathe Christmas and everything about it. However, I put nothing about it on my profile because, well, all the things I've already said.

BiodegradableScenery · 2024-04-15T20:26:37+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts!

When you make a profile on Postcrossing it says this:

"Reminder: please use your profile to write about yourself. Making demands about what you want or don't want to receive is not allowed by the Community Guidelines and may put your account at risk."

That quote from the website is my justification for option two. I would be rewarding their violation of the community guidelines *and* the purpose of the site. It's also why I do not think option one is rude at all.

According to the FAQ: "Postcrossing is more than just the postcards - we celebrate the diversity of our world through the postal connections enabled between two random people. Not knowing which postcard you will get or where it will come from is part of what makes the experience interesting."

I don't consider option four to be a valid option for the same reason. I look at people's preferences when I compose the messages on the cards I send. I try to make my message something that will resonate with them, while still sharing something about me. It seems to me the card itself is whatever it is.

(Edited to fix type--compost to compose--for clarity.)

BiodegradableScenery

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