Receiving a warning from the Postcrossing team is an email no one wants to find in their inbox. It was a complete gut punch. My profile, which I believed was a fun summary of my years in the community, had been flagged for not following the guidelines. The email felt accusatory, and my first instinct was to defend myself. I was faced with a choice: argue with the team or fix the problem. I chose the latter.

My Old Profile: A Detailed Wishlist with a Warning

My original profile was built on a simple idea: helping other Postcrossers. After years of sending and receiving cards, I knew that having a wishlist could make it easier for someone to choose a postcard they knew I would love. My profile included a detailed list of my favourite themes, but with a clear disclaimer that it was only a wishlist. Unfortunately, the Postcrossing team saw it differently. They felt my profile, despite the disclaimer, was too prescriptive and could put pressure on senders to find a very specific card. Their warning was clear: the profile needed to be less demanding.

Another issue was a message I had included for scammers. I had written a stern warning to those who use cheap, mass-produced internet cards to fulfill their postcard obligation to receive genuine, unique postcards from other members. While I believed I was helping to protect the community, the team flagged this message as confrontational and against the spirit of Postcrossing.

The New Profile: From “Wishlist” to “Ideas”

Instead of arguing, I reread the Postcrossing guidelines and decided to fully embrace the community’s core principle: any postcard is a good postcard.

I rewrote my profile to remove any sense of a wishlist. I took out specific examples, certain emojis, and reframed my interests in a much more open way. I also removed the warning to scammers. I also made the disclaimer about my interests much more obvious, so no one can miss it.

To ensure my new profile followed the guidelines, I even used an AI to review my new profile against the official Postcrossing guidance. The feedback confirmed that my new profile was fully compliant.

This is still an ongoing matter. The email from the Postcrossing team mentioned they would review my profile again to ensure it remains compliant. I am hopeful this will be the end of the matter and a good example of how sometimes, the best way to move forward is not to argue your point but to simply make a change.