| Pages:
1
2
3 |
Turquoiseozzie
New Member
Posts: 48
Registered: 11-2-2012
Location: Sydney
Country Flag: Australia
Postcrossing Username: Turquoiseozzie
Member Is Offline
|
|
'Random' Countries?
I am finding that as soon as a card I have sent to the USA is registered, my next address will also be in the USA. Today though, I had two addresses
to find, having just had cards registered in the USA and Belarus. Guess which two countries came up. You guessed it; the USA and Belarus.
It would have bee nice to send a card to somewhere different, that's all.
|
|
|
lncrou7
Member
Posts: 1135
Registered: 16-12-2010
Location: Austin, TX, USA
Postcrossing Username: lncrou7
Member Is Online
Mood: No Mood
|
|
If you don't want that to happen, you have to do these 2 things:
- unckeck the "send to repeated countries" box in your profile
- wait till you are able to send cards in batches instead of everytime one of your cards get registered |
|
|
mingshu
Member
Posts: 1376
Registered: 18-1-2006
Location: Häme
Country Flag: Finland
Member Is Online
|
|
yeah, it´s best to wait until you are able to request several (or as many as possible) addresses at the same time ...or request a new address right
away only when your card to a more rare country gets registered  |
|
|
Turquoiseozzie
New Member
Posts: 48
Registered: 11-2-2012
Location: Sydney
Country Flag: Australia
Postcrossing Username: Turquoiseozzie
Member Is Offline
|
|
I don't have 'repeated countries' and I do request new addresses straight away.
I did get a chance to send a batch of cards at the end of May, and I still got the same countries I always get.
Surely the point is to send cards as quickly as possible, not to wait. If you wait to send cards you are delaying your own chances of receiving
cards. Also, the times in which my cards arrive vary so widely that it would be unfair to the countries that receive cards quickly to have to wait 30
days while a card to Russia arrives.
It works both ways, because for both sent & received I have a disproportionate number from Germany & the Netherlands.
All I am saying that it has rather taken the gloss off something that I really hoped would be as 'worldwide' as it claims.
I have just received 3 cards from Taiwan, the Netherlands & Finland. On May 29 I received 3 cards from the same countries. |
|
|
siobhan
Member
Posts: 1269
Registered: 17-5-2009
Location: Leverkusen, GER
Postcrossing Username: siobhan
Member Is Offline
|
|
Well, it doesn't claim you'll send to and receive from every country in the world.
I guess there's nothing postcrossing can do about the numbers of active members in certain countries, or lack thereof in others. I don't know if the
algorithm could be tweaked to bring back the element of surprise - probably not, because if the Dutch send a lot, they need to receive a lot as well,
and that can't be changed.
In the old days, it used to be Finland. When a card to Finland was registered, you knew your next address would be in Finland. Now it's mostly the
Netherlands, although it does seem there's a "big countries club" now so that it is getting more and more unlikely to draw another country. The more
addresses you request at one time though, the bigger the chances of drawing something out of the ordinary. You're not making anybody wait with you if
you wait, the addresses are going to other people instead. But of course you do delay cards coming to you. It's probably a matter of priorities - do
you want your cards fast, or you do want the chance to send somewhere else for a change? (Although: I had a look at your profile just now and noticed
you even got to send a card to Chile - I haven't been this lucky yet!) |
|
|
gringalais
Member
Posts: 560
Registered: 20-6-2006
Location: Chile
Country Flag: Chile
Postcrossing Username: gringalais
Member Is Offline
Mood: hanging in there . . .
|
|
Quote: Originally posted by siobhan  |
I guess there's nothing postcrossing can do about the numbers of active members in certain countries, or lack thereof in others.
|
That is what it boils down to. It's not like people in countries with fewer members can be obligated to join. Likewise, it would not be right to limit
members from more common countries from joining or restrict the number of cards they can send.
The rarer countries often have lower levels of internet access and/or less availability of postcards. It also may be an expensive hobby when you
consider average local salaries.
I live in a country with relatively few users. The number of people who use the internet has increased a lot in recent years. However, I can see for a
person earning a typical salary here, that cards and stamps would be too much for their budget. Also, it can be hard to find postcards out of the main
touristic areas and not many people have a good grasp of English. Those aren't things that postcrossing can change. |
|
|
Turquoiseozzie
New Member
Posts: 48
Registered: 11-2-2012
Location: Sydney
Country Flag: Australia
Postcrossing Username: Turquoiseozzie
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by siobhan | Well, it doesn't claim you'll send to and receive from every country in the world.
I guess there's nothing postcrossing can do about the numbers of active members in certain countries, or lack thereof in others. I don't know if the
algorithm could be tweaked to bring back the element of surprise - probably not, because if the Dutch send a lot, they need to receive a lot as well,
and that can't be changed.
In the old days, it used to be Finland. When a card to Finland was registered, you knew your next address would be in Finland. Now it's mostly the
Netherlands, although it does seem there's a "big countries club" now so that it is getting more and more unlikely to draw another country. The more
addresses you request at one time though, the bigger the chances of drawing something out of the ordinary. You're not making anybody wait with you if
you wait, the addresses are going to other people instead. But of course you do delay cards coming to you. It's probably a matter of priorities - do
you want your cards fast, or you do want the chance to send somewhere else for a change? (Although: I had a look at your profile just now and noticed
you even got to send a card to Chile - I haven't been this lucky yet!) |
I was lucky to get Chile & even more lucky to get Saudi Arabia, that is true. I've got three to get this morning - we'll see.. but as one card
which arrived was to the Netherlands I'm sure I'll get the Netherlands again. |
|
|
lncrou7
Member
Posts: 1135
Registered: 16-12-2010
Location: Austin, TX, USA
Postcrossing Username: lncrou7
Member Is Online
Mood: No Mood
|
|
It does help to request addresses in batch. Here's an example:
Scenario 1:
- You request an address: Netherlands.
- The card gets registered.
- You request an address again: Netherlands.
- The card gets registered.
- Repeat this sequence 5 times.
You just sent 10 cards, all to Netherlands.
Scenario 2:
- You request 5 addresses: Netherlands, Russia, China, USA and Taiwan.
- All 5 cards get registered.
- You request 5 addresses: Netherlands, Russia, China, USA and Taiwan.
- All 5 cards get registered.
- Repeat this sequence.
You just sent 10 cards to 5 different countries. Sure, they are the same countries, but it's still 5 different countries as opposed to only 1 country
in the first scenario.
| Quote: Originally posted by Turquoiseozzie |
Surely the point is to send cards as quickly as possible, not to wait. If you wait to send cards you are delaying your own chances of receiving
cards. Also, the times in which my cards arrive vary so widely that it would be unfair to the countries that receive cards quickly to have to wait 30
days while a card to Russia arrives.
|
The point can be whatever you want it to be. If you want to send cards as quickly as possible, that's fine. But some people only send one card a month
and that's also fine.
And I don't understand what you are saying about being unfair to some countries. If you are not requesting an address right away, the address will
simply be given to someone else. |
|
|
Turquoiseozzie
New Member
Posts: 48
Registered: 11-2-2012
Location: Sydney
Country Flag: Australia
Postcrossing Username: Turquoiseozzie
Member Is Offline
|
|
Whatever.... I just got the exact three countries again that have just registered my three previous cards, Netherlands, Taiwan & Ukraine.
Literally the same three countries AGAIN.
There is obviously nothing which can be done about it. It seems that I now know where I will be sending each next card; which is why I am now
querying how 'random' it in fact is. For example I expect the next card which will be registered will be to either Germany or China (probably
Germany) and I now am 100% certain that when I get my next address it will be to Germany. It's taking all the fun out of it. And I don't see how
waiting a while before I send anything is going to change that. I know I will get the same country that just registered my previous card. |
|
|
lncrou7
Member
Posts: 1135
Registered: 16-12-2010
Location: Austin, TX, USA
Postcrossing Username: lncrou7
Member Is Online
Mood: No Mood
|
|
Not if you request as many cards as possible at the same time. 3 addresses is not a batch. If you request 10 cards at the same time, you may get the
same countries that you did before, but you will get 10 different countries. You just have to set priorities. Is it more important to you to send as
many cards as possible or to send to more different countries as possible?
Maybe you could try thinking about it this way: each address you request goes to a different person and everyone is different, even if they live in
the same country. That's how I see it anyway. I'm sending cards to people, not to countries. |
|
|
Turquoiseozzie
New Member
Posts: 48
Registered: 11-2-2012
Location: Sydney
Country Flag: Australia
Postcrossing Username: Turquoiseozzie
Member Is Offline
|
|
I am now sure that if I waited untill I could send 10 cards, I would get the exact same 10 countries that I just had register my previous 10 cards.
This is what I am saying happened today. I had cards registed by Taiwan, Netherlands & Ukraine & when I drew the next three addresses they
were from Taiwan, Netherlands & Ukraine and this is what I was talking about when I started the thread. Yes, they are different countries but the
point is they are the same countries that I just sent cards to which were just registered.
I know that I am sending cards to people, not countries & I take great care in what I send. |
|
|
siobhan
Member
Posts: 1269
Registered: 17-5-2009
Location: Leverkusen, GER
Postcrossing Username: siobhan
Member Is Offline
|
|
No one is saying that is not going to happen again if you wait - but you do have a chance to get another country, and it's bigger the more addresses
you draw at the same time. I usually wait until I can draw at least 7 or 8 addresses, often more (but it's easy for me, I can have a lot of cards
travelling at the same time), and I don't always get the exact same countries. At least not in the same order. Of course you'll have your usual suspects, but something else might
just be mixed in. I recently requested 14 addresses with the "repeated countries" box ticked and expected to get 14 addresses in Russia, but the first
was in Canada (What?!), and there were also two in Belarus and one in China. Maybe not exactly Guatemala and Sierra Leone, but still surprising.
Of course, if you tick the "send to repeated countries" option and send a batch of cards to Russia, then untick it again - when you then draw the
Netherlands, Taiwan and Ukraine, those won't be the countries your last cards were registered in.  |
|
|
ozzguy
New Member
Posts: 18
Registered: 25-2-2010
Location: Adelaide
Country Flag: Australia
Postcrossing Username: ozzguy
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
To me it doesn't really matter if I get the same country as one that was just registered.
I make a game out if it. I had a card registered last weekend I sent to Finland and then when I went to send some more, I thought "I bet I get
Finland" and I did, so I try to make a game out of guessing which country I get next.
It's usually USA, Russia, Finland, Netherlands, China, Belarus. But then I don't mind re-sending to the same countries, it's just all part of the fun
of it, and is a welcome surprise I get some other country. The other day I also got a Brazilian address so that was a surprise. |
|
|
whiterose
Member
Posts: 388
Registered: 15-3-2006
Location: Israel
Country Flag: Israel
Postcrossing Username: whiterose
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood
|
|
I really don't mind which country I sent the card, I only have the option not to sent to repeated countries because I know Russia and china take much
longer than europe and USA.
A card from me will be, most of the time, the users first official card from Israel and I think each user deserves that even if it means I'll be
sending to the same countries all the time. But now that I have 17 cards traveling at a time I actually see new countries, like I just sent the first
card to Sweden.
I wonder at which point the option not to send to repeated countries stops working : at 25 cards or maybe it will work with 40 cards too? |
|
|
siobhan
Member
Posts: 1269
Registered: 17-5-2009
Location: Leverkusen, GER
Postcrossing Username: siobhan
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by whiterose | | I wonder at which point the option not to send to repeated countries stops working : at 25 cards or maybe it will work with 40 cards too?
|
It definitely doesn't work with 40 cards. I always get the Netherlands, USA, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Germany (if ticked), Finland, Taiwan twice,
even if I don't have the repeated countries option ticked. I can send 46 cards now, but getting the same country twice started happening a long time
ago. I can't pinpoint the exact number of cards, but I guess it was somewhere around 30-35. |
|
|
soilian
Administrator
Posts: 3322
Registered: 30-11-2005
Location: Finland
Country Flag: Finland
Postcrossing Username: soilian
Member Is Offline
Mood: No Mood, indeed
|
|
Basically it depends on how many different countries there are on the queue at the moment you request addresses and also which countries you already
have cards travelling to. I think the option not to send to repeated countries stops working at around 30-40 depending on the reasons I mentioned
above.
Unfortunately the system works like this at the moment. For a newbie it may seem less random. Just keep on sending cards! You'll
never know when you'll get a surprise. The more you can send the better is the chance that you will get more variety in the countries.
Besides, I have never got an address to Saudi Arabia and the first and the only Chilean address so far I got after three and half years. I've been a
member since August 2005. |
|
|
Turquoiseozzie
New Member
Posts: 48
Registered: 11-2-2012
Location: Sydney
Country Flag: Australia
Postcrossing Username: Turquoiseozzie
Member Is Offline
|
|
OK, thanks to those who have responded; now I would like to know how many people wait until they have a batch of 10 before they send more cards as
Incrou7 suggests? I'm going to try it; at the moment I have 8 out of 10 travelling & I will wait until I have 0 out of 10 & then send 10
together. |
|
|
Mundoo
Head Forum Administrator
Posts: 4415
Registered: 30-11-2005
Location: Hindmarsh Island Australia
Country Flag: Australia
Postcrossing Username: Mundoo
Member Is Online
Mood: Not all those who wander are lost
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by Turquoiseozzie | | OK, thanks to those who have responded; now I would like to know how many people wait until they have a batch of 10 before they send more cards as
Incrou7 suggests? |
I wait and request 10 at a time
| Quote: | | I'm going to try it; at the moment I have 8 out of 10 travelling & I will wait until I have 0 out of 10 & then send 10 together.
|
If you wait until you have 0 travelling and then request you will get the same 10 countries most likely.
The 'trick' is to bulk request while you still have a postcard already travelling to a country.
You won't get that country while you have a postcard already travelling (not expired) to it. |
|
|
ChristinaR
New member
Posts: 1
Registered: 4-11-2012
Country Flag: Netherlands
Postcrossing Username: ChristinaR
Member Is Offline
|
|
For me the active forcing of the system is a reason to leave. Had this site been honest in the FAQ I would have never joined. The system actively
forces random countries on those who post a lot of cards at one time. Ths negatively affects those like me, who don't post a lot of cards, because
smaller countries are all going to very active postcrossers.
It looks reasonable at first glance, but it isn't. It is really a disadvantage to those who don't have the time or money to send bunches, or who like
the idea of spreading cards through the seasons. Changes of receiving cards out of smaller countries are minimised this way, changes of receiving
cards out of different countries are limited. I think the system should be randomized once again, and I'll wait untill it is. Untill then, I'm sad to
go, but feel forced.
Christina |
|
|
mtts
Member
Posts: 415
Registered: 15-6-2012
Location: Netherlands
Country Flag: Netherlands
Member Is Offline
|
|
All you have to do is to accept the statistics as they are:
http://www.postcrossing.com/stats/users
71% of the 348,097 users are from 10 countries: +/- 247,148
29% of the 348,097 users are from the other 200 countries: +/- 100,948
Statistically around 70% of your travelling card go to top10 countries
and around 30% goes to countries out of top10.
If you have choosen to sent to different countries.
At the moment you can manage your sent cards by choosing for at random countries or different countries (and yes to your own country or no to your own
country).
The most fair system would be if it would be totally at random. Then everyone get the person who is number one in the queue for receiving a card
[after every address given out there is a new number one ofcourse].
Now I believe there are limits in how many cards from a country are travelling to you. I wouldn't mind to receive lots of cards from the same
country.
 I would love to see this in a test-week! Just one week in
the year in which we would postcrossing totally at random.
Edit: Promotion from postcrossing in the outside top10 countries would be great for the difference!
I do like to receive from strange countries as well. Now they are special as you just get them so seldom. |
|
|
honzuki
Member
Posts: 354
Registered: 31-8-2011
Location: Tahiti
Country Flag: France
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by ChristinaR | | Ths negatively affects those like me, who don't post a lot of cards, because smaller countries are all going to very active postcrossers
|
I'm in a "hard to get" country and I sent cards to people who hadn't sent a lot of cards. I even sent their first card to newbies several times. |
|
|
siobhan
Member
Posts: 1269
Registered: 17-5-2009
Location: Leverkusen, GER
Postcrossing Username: siobhan
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by honzuki | | Quote: Originally posted by ChristinaR | | Ths negatively affects those like me, who don't post a lot of cards, because smaller countries are all going to very active postcrossers
|
I'm in a "hard to get" country and I sent cards to people who hadn't sent a lot of cards. I even sent their first card to newbies several times.
|
And I, having sent over 2000 cards, still send to the same ones over and over again, with exceptions being rare - the same goes for receiving. When
you send more, the chances of sending to a rare country are bigger, but it doesn't have to happen. Like if you play the lotto every week, your chances
of winning something are bigger than if you only play once a year, but neither guarantees a win - or you could also win if you only play once. That's
random for you. |
|
|
honzuki
Member
Posts: 354
Registered: 31-8-2011
Location: Tahiti
Country Flag: France
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by siobhan | | Like if you play the lotto every week, your chances of winning something are bigger than if you only play once a year, but neither guarantees a win -
or you could also win if you only play once. |
I like this comparison. (^_^) And yes, I also received a couple of newbie's first cards. |
|
|
gringalais
Member
Posts: 560
Registered: 20-6-2006
Location: Chile
Country Flag: Chile
Postcrossing Username: gringalais
Member Is Offline
Mood: hanging in there . . .
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by honzuki | | Quote: Originally posted by ChristinaR | | Ths negatively affects those like me, who don't post a lot of cards, because smaller countries are all going to very active postcrossers
|
I'm in a "hard to get" country and I sent cards to people who hadn't sent a lot of cards. I even sent their first card to newbies several times.
|
Same here. I just sent a card to someone who only has 4 received cards and had a card registered the other day by someone who only had received 20. I
signed up one of my English students the other day. She requested 3 cards and all went to new users. |
|
|
lncrou7
Member
Posts: 1135
Registered: 16-12-2010
Location: Austin, TX, USA
Postcrossing Username: lncrou7
Member Is Online
Mood: No Mood
|
|
| Quote: Originally posted by ChristinaR | For me the active forcing of the system is a reason to leave. Had this site been honest in the FAQ I would have never joined. The system actively
forces random countries on those who post a lot of cards at one time. Ths negatively affects those like me, who don't post a lot of cards, because
smaller countries are all going to very active postcrossers.
|
I have no idea what you are saying. The system doesn't force any country on anyone. When you request an address, the system doesn't look at who you
are, what country you are from and how many cards you have sent already. It gives you the next person that is waiting for a card, as long as you
haven't already sent a card to this person and you don't already have a card travelling to that country. That's all it takes into consideration.
It's all a question of probabilities. Take siobahn's example of the lottery. The lottery is random, but if you buy 1000 tickets, you have 1000 more
chances to win than the person who only bought one. That doesn't make the lottery less random.
| Quote: Originally posted by Turquoiseozzie | | OK, thanks to those who have responded; now I would like to know how many people wait until they have a batch of 10 before they send more cards as
Incrou7 suggests? |
I usually send about 5-8 cards at the same time, but I don't do this to get different countries. I couldn't care less where I send my cards. |
|
|
| Pages:
1
2
3 |
![[*]](images/postcrossing/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
