I feel used

I probably shouldn't. I mean, I know that people come to postcrossing for many different reasons. Some come to collect stamps. Some come to collect postcards only. Others, like us, come just for the fun and the momentary connections we make with people all around the world. Others come for the possibility of a new penpal. There are many reasons.

I understand those reasons. However, I have never felt used by the collectors...until the other day when this post card came in the mail:

It's a nice card, right? It has an interesting look to it. It comes from Australia (which made my husband happy). It is a pre-paid postage, which is fine. Here's the "stamp":

But see, this is where I beging to feel used. The handwriting. There practically is none! It is a preprinted sticker that the sender has just stuck on the back of the card. My guess is that this person prints all these out, sticks them on the card, and when she requests a card to send just pulls out the first one, and write in the card ID number:

I'm not impressed. Actually, it makes me want to NOT check out the website that she advertises on this. Even if she had handwritten the exact same information, I wouldn't have been upset. There is just something so impersonal about a preprinted message from the computer. Especailly when you can tell everyone gets the same thing word for word. She has left herself a blank to fill in the name of the card and the id number; but other than that there is no handwritten message.

Needless to say, I am disappointed in this card. I know I said I was going to put links onto the site when there was one to be had; but I'm not going to because it isn't a bonu thrill for her; it's just business. And to me, this postcard exchange is not about buisness, it's about making connections. I don't feel connected.