3 ms·

How people use QR codes...

1 points by instakill 15y ago

ColinWright 15y ago
To save you the effort, the code says: They don't - it's overly complicated and stupid. Well, that's one opinion. Personally, I use QR codes quite a lot. I scan them when I see them - it takes virtually no time - and it's given me information quickly and easily that would otherwise had to have been taken down by hand, either immediately, or later, from a photo. But as a single example for how I use them, I have a QR code on my business card. Reactions fall broadly into three groups: 1. Those who know what a QR code is and use it to go straight to my on-line contact details. It connects to 1a. my blog, 1b. my other writings, 1c. my speaking details, and 1d. my contact details for further information. 2. Those who don't know what a QR code is, but are curious. It creates a talking point about technology, and how its appropriate use can make life a lot simpler. That is, after all, how I make money. 3. Those who don't notice or don't care. For them it's cost me nothing. I see nothing but benefits. What am I missing?
- jeffool 15y ago
  Couldn't a website provide links to all those things? Without having to pull a camera out of your pocket? I guess you could take time to snap a picture that means nothing to the human eye, I'd rather just tap it in or write it down. At least nothing requires them, like you said.
  - mhink 15y ago
    True, but the power of QR codes lies in the ability to embed large amounts of contextual information that's not directly related to remembering it. Consider an ad campaign in a large city that puts up advertisements on bus stops. A savvy marketing department could put QR codes on each advertisement which direct the user to a webpage, but also include metadata about where that particular ad was posted. Additionally, it's very popular among marketers because of the interaction QR codes drive. Generally, the process of interacting with a QR code (especially with a link to a website) opens the site automatically in my browser. That's one immediate impression. Since I'm on the go, I'm likely to lock my phone without bothering to close the tab. When I open Safari back up, boom. There's another impression. Whereas if I wrote the website down, there's much less of a chance that I'd bother to go through the process of opening it later (copying address into a browser.) On the consumer side, if I see an ad I'm interested in, it's almost trivial to take a picture of it rather than "tap it in or write it down". One hand, a few taps, and I have both accessed it and saved it for later.
  - ColinWright 15y ago
    My web address is on the card too, but a significant number of people prefer to use the QR code instead of typing in the address. Less chance for error, it's often faster, and they don't have to think hard while they do it. Couldn't a website provide links to all those things? Of course it does - the QR code goes to the web site, without risk of mis-typing it, and without having to look at the keyboard. Without having to pull a camera out of your pocket? ... I'd rather just tap it in or write it down. So you'd rather pull something out of your pocket to tap it in, or write it down, but not pull something out of your pocket to scan a QR code? Additionally, most people can also talk while they scan a QR code, but most can't talk while they type in a web address. In short, for many people it's more convenient, and I'm making use of that.
tree_of_item 15y ago
QR codes make more sense when you think about mobile devices. All this little experiment shows is that there's a better method of hyperlinking on large computers. But are you going to want to stop what you're doing and type a link in to your phone if you see something on a poster?

1 points by instakill 15y ago

To save you the effort, the code says: They don't - it's overly complicated and stupid. Well, that's one opinion. Personally, I use QR codes quite a lot. I scan them when I see them - it takes virtually no time - and it's given me information quickly and easily that would otherwise had to have been taken down by hand, either immediately, or later, from a photo. But as a single example for how I use them, I have a QR code on my business card. Reactions fall broadly into three groups: 1. Those who know what a QR code is and use it to go straight to my on-line contact details. It connects to 1a. my blog, 1b. my other writings, 1c. my speaking details, and 1d. my contact details for further information. 2. Those who don't know what a QR code is, but are curious. It creates a talking point about technology, and how its appropriate use can make life a lot simpler. That is, after all, how I make money. 3. Those who don't notice or don't care. For them it's cost me nothing. I see nothing but benefits. What am I missing?

jeffool 15y ago
Couldn't a website provide links to all those things? Without having to pull a camera out of your pocket? I guess you could take time to snap a picture that means nothing to the human eye, I'd rather just tap it in or write it down. At least nothing requires them, like you said.
- mhink 15y ago
  True, but the power of QR codes lies in the ability to embed large amounts of contextual information that's not directly related to remembering it. Consider an ad campaign in a large city that puts up advertisements on bus stops. A savvy marketing department could put QR codes on each advertisement which direct the user to a webpage, but also include metadata about where that particular ad was posted. Additionally, it's very popular among marketers because of the interaction QR codes drive. Generally, the process of interacting with a QR code (especially with a link to a website) opens the site automatically in my browser. That's one immediate impression. Since I'm on the go, I'm likely to lock my phone without bothering to close the tab. When I open Safari back up, boom. There's another impression. Whereas if I wrote the website down, there's much less of a chance that I'd bother to go through the process of opening it later (copying address into a browser.) On the consumer side, if I see an ad I'm interested in, it's almost trivial to take a picture of it rather than "tap it in or write it down". One hand, a few taps, and I have both accessed it and saved it for later.
- ColinWright 15y ago
  My web address is on the card too, but a significant number of people prefer to use the QR code instead of typing in the address. Less chance for error, it's often faster, and they don't have to think hard while they do it. Couldn't a website provide links to all those things? Of course it does - the QR code goes to the web site, without risk of mis-typing it, and without having to look at the keyboard. Without having to pull a camera out of your pocket? ... I'd rather just tap it in or write it down. So you'd rather pull something out of your pocket to tap it in, or write it down, but not pull something out of your pocket to scan a QR code? Additionally, most people can also talk while they scan a QR code, but most can't talk while they type in a web address. In short, for many people it's more convenient, and I'm making use of that.

tree_of_item 15y ago

QR codes make more sense when you think about mobile devices. All this little experiment shows is that there's a better method of hyperlinking on large computers. But are you going to want to stop what you're doing and type a link in to your phone if you see something on a poster?