SnagAJob.com, a Richmond-based but national online source for hourly jobs, has created AFTERTHOUGHTS, a collection of customizable e-cards with an edge. The aim is to harness the power of viral marketing, as people pass around the free cards, to drive traffic to the Snagajob Web site.

Said Cathy McCarthy, senior vice president of marketing: "AFTERTHOUGHTS is SnagAJob.com's virtual card store with an attitude. It's a great free resource for our registered job seekers to express their creative side and maybe even blow off a little good-natured steam."

Created in conjunction with RightMinds, an integrated marketing agency, AFTERTHOUGHTS "take a realistic look at life in the working worlds and are the perfect way to send valued co-workers and friends a message," states a RightMinds press release. 

Bacon’s bottom line: It's an interesting idea, and I admire SnagAJob for thinking outside the box, but an initiative like this takes more than a good idea. It takes good execution. Let's just say that the gag writers are no threat to Shoebox cards. Check out the AFTERTHOUGHTS Web site.

One Apology e-card says, "Your boss could be worse ... Actually, that's a lie."

Hmmm. I'm not laughing. I'm not even cracking a smile. In fact, if I received this card, I'd be wondering, "It this supposed to be funny? Or should I be embarrassed for the author?"

Or, try this: "No one will call you a quitter ... Because you got fired."

Oh, I get it. Har, har! Yeah, that would cheer me right up if I got fired.

More promising is a feature that allows card senders to "fill in the blank" with the sender's sentiments or use the Mad Libs-like random text generator when the sender "doesn't care enough to write their own thoughtful message." Some of these are mildly amusing, but their connection to the message it elaborates upon is sometimes tenuous.

Maybe it's a generational thing. Maybe my Baby Boomer brain just doesn't "get" Generation Y humor. (Or is it Generation Z now?)

As RightMinds CEO Chris Thurston says, though, "Drugstore cards are great for Aunt Polly, but they're not edgy enough for the 18 to 29 crowd. AFTERTHOUGHTS are the fresh and free alternative for today’s hourly workers."

My advice: If your new boss isn't 18 to 29 years old, don't send him one of these e-cards. You just may find yourself back on SnagAJob trolling for work.