For all the personal information that’s posted on Facebook, the social network is really impersonal. Just think about it. How many people do you have on your Facebook friend list? How many of those people have you actually seen or talked to in the past two years? Now, consider whether or not you know the addresses of most of the people on your friend list. Not so much? You’re not alone. Still, it never hurts to send someone a real postcard (not a digital one) to show them (or pretend to show them) that you care.

A new application called Touchnote will send anyone on your Facebook friend list a postcard from you. No matter where that person lives. Whether or not you know where they live. If you’re thinking that you can suddenly be the world’s most popular person by sending everyone a Christmas postcard, read on.

Samsung Injects Funds

Touchnote is an app that was created for the Samsung Galaxy. As such Samsung has put a good amount of money into the creation and amplification of this app. Money that any startup would be glad to have. Right now, the Touchnote app is free. If you had managed to visit the Touchnote website before the current promotion had expired, you could have sent a postcard for free too. Currently, the site states that all free postcards have been sent, so I’m guessing that gig is up. However, you can still go through the Touchnote process. Here’s how Touchnote works:

Sending a Touchnote Card

First, you will be asked to select a card design and choose a Facebook photo. Then, you will be asked to customize the postcard by entering an address. But, if you don’t know a person’s address, Touchnote will then work its magic. If you don’t have a friend’s address, Touchnote will send a message to that friend requesting address information. If granted, these details are then stored on Touchnote’s server. So, you will never have direct access to the address, but your postcard can be sent to your desired recipient all the same.

From that point on, you can send additional postcards to anyone you’ve already sent a postcard to. Touchnote stores information, so the app won’t have to ask for an address two or three times, once will suffice. Right now, Touchnote is available through both Android and iOS, and the company has already seen millions of downloads (it seems as though people want to go back to print – journalists, rejoice!).

There’s just one thing I’m wondering: if you want someone’s address, why not ask them yourself? It’s not like Touchnote can send a postcard secretly. Anyone you contact via the Touchnote app will know that you intend to send them a note. But, the service itself is interesting all the same. So interesting, in fact, that Touchnote seems to have a growing market. If you want to send a postcard to someone you know (or don’t really know all that well at all), download the free Touchnote app.