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The most common failure case I see for broken QR codes is it scans fine but it was created using some commercial link-bouncer service and they stopped paying th

The most common failure case I see for broken QR codes is it scans fine but it was created using some commercial link-bouncer service and they stopped paying the subscription fees so the redirect is dead.

artursapek 1y ago
bit rot makes me sad
- future10se 1y ago
  That would probably be closer to link rot[1]. Interestingly enough, printed QR codes physically degrading as described in the article is actual bit rot, albeit a form often overlooked. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_rot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_rot
darkwater 1y ago
This infuriates me. You are using a QR exactly to easily share a (long) link, why the hell you need to use a link shortener? Why is the market for small shops, restaurants, bars, small museums, small towns etc so riddled with technically incompetent people?
- wiradikusuma 1y ago
  Sometimes, because the service sneakily shortens the link. I wanted to share a WIP whitelabel ticket sales platform ( https://pentas.id https://pentas.id ) with a friend. I didn't have time to build the logic to generate QR code, so I just googled "online QR generator". I pasted my link, a QR code was generated. When I tried it using Pixel's Camera app, the preview is NOT my link. Although when I tap it, it eventually goes to my link.
  - AStonesThrow 1y ago
    > I didn't have [money], so I just [had someone else pay to generate a QR]. Fixed that for you. If you are using free stuff that you google-searched, then you're the product.
    - dvdkon 1y ago
      A paid service/app would surely never pull such a trick, right? It sadly requires a lot of vigilance not to fall for these "petty deceptions".
  - devmandan 1y ago
    Yup. Dark patterns exist with QR code hosting services. It's revolting.
  - password4321 1y ago
    Next time, site:github.com that search and find a demo page like https://www.nayuki.io/page/qr-code-generator-library https://www.nayuki.io/page/qr-code-generator-library!
- fragmede 1y ago
  because they want the analytics the eg bit.ly packages up nicely for them. The software that's missing (though tbh, I Haven looked) is the let's encrypt certbot for doing your own analytics that a link shortener would get you.
- crazygringo 1y ago
  > easily share a (long) link, why the hell you need to use a link shortener? Because it makes the QR code simpler (less "pixels") and therefore more robust. Given the same physical size, scratches affect it less, and a phone can read it from further away. You want to avoid long links in QR codes whenever possible. The other thing is analytics, of course. You can generate 10 different small QR codes that lead to the same long URL, to find out where they're getting scanned, so you know which locations are popular and worthwhile and which ones are not. And maybe don't criticize restaurant owners for being technically incompetent? I'm sure they would find you just as incompetent at cooking at scale.
  - darkwater 1y ago
    I'm criticizing QR providers of restaurants owners for being incompetent. I will also criticize restaurants that give you only the QR option for the menu and the menu is a PDF unreadable on a mobile screen (whoever decided that).
  - creatonez 1y ago
    > And maybe don't criticize restaurant owners for being technically incompetent? Most QR code menus are entirely managed by just one company that is effectively a monopoly. It's not the restaurant staff making these terrible, it's the digital services provider.
- pimlottc 1y ago
  Being able to change the destination URL is one reason to use a redirect. Many users do not control their tech infrastructure, or have the knowledge to create redirects. This allows them to update or change content without changing their QR codes.
  - darkwater 1y ago
    I could buy that, but also the QR and the destination website are usually done by the same web agency. The issue is that probably the web agency is externalizing itself the QR thing, or try to centralize all their clients in the same system.
nicbou 1y ago
I once saw a 10 second ad on a QR code for a restaurant menu.

artursapek 1y ago

bit rot makes me sad

future10se 1y ago
That would probably be closer to link rot[1]. Interestingly enough, printed QR codes physically degrading as described in the article is actual bit rot, albeit a form often overlooked. [1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_rot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_rot

darkwater 1y ago

This infuriates me. You are using a QR exactly to easily share a (long) link, why the hell you need to use a link shortener? Why is the market for small shops, restaurants, bars, small museums, small towns etc so riddled with technically incompetent people?

wiradikusuma 1y ago
Sometimes, because the service sneakily shortens the link. I wanted to share a WIP whitelabel ticket sales platform ( https://pentas.id https://pentas.id ) with a friend. I didn't have time to build the logic to generate QR code, so I just googled "online QR generator". I pasted my link, a QR code was generated. When I tried it using Pixel's Camera app, the preview is NOT my link. Although when I tap it, it eventually goes to my link.
- AStonesThrow 1y ago
  > I didn't have [money], so I just [had someone else pay to generate a QR]. Fixed that for you. If you are using free stuff that you google-searched, then you're the product.
  - dvdkon 1y ago
    A paid service/app would surely never pull such a trick, right? It sadly requires a lot of vigilance not to fall for these "petty deceptions".
- devmandan 1y ago
  Yup. Dark patterns exist with QR code hosting services. It's revolting.
- password4321 1y ago
  Next time, site:github.com that search and find a demo page like https://www.nayuki.io/page/qr-code-generator-library https://www.nayuki.io/page/qr-code-generator-library!
fragmede 1y ago
because they want the analytics the eg bit.ly packages up nicely for them. The software that's missing (though tbh, I Haven looked) is the let's encrypt certbot for doing your own analytics that a link shortener would get you.
crazygringo 1y ago
> easily share a (long) link, why the hell you need to use a link shortener? Because it makes the QR code simpler (less "pixels") and therefore more robust. Given the same physical size, scratches affect it less, and a phone can read it from further away. You want to avoid long links in QR codes whenever possible. The other thing is analytics, of course. You can generate 10 different small QR codes that lead to the same long URL, to find out where they're getting scanned, so you know which locations are popular and worthwhile and which ones are not. And maybe don't criticize restaurant owners for being technically incompetent? I'm sure they would find you just as incompetent at cooking at scale.
- darkwater 1y ago
  I'm criticizing QR providers of restaurants owners for being incompetent. I will also criticize restaurants that give you only the QR option for the menu and the menu is a PDF unreadable on a mobile screen (whoever decided that).
- creatonez 1y ago
  > And maybe don't criticize restaurant owners for being technically incompetent? Most QR code menus are entirely managed by just one company that is effectively a monopoly. It's not the restaurant staff making these terrible, it's the digital services provider.
pimlottc 1y ago
Being able to change the destination URL is one reason to use a redirect. Many users do not control their tech infrastructure, or have the knowledge to create redirects. This allows them to update or change content without changing their QR codes.
- darkwater 1y ago
  I could buy that, but also the QR and the destination website are usually done by the same web agency. The issue is that probably the web agency is externalizing itself the QR thing, or try to centralize all their clients in the same system.

nicbou 1y ago

I once saw a 10 second ad on a QR code for a restaurant menu.