QR codes are the stupidest idea ever.

also, WTF QR Codes

QR codes are Cue-Cat levels of stupid.

Ned to put them on the water lines so we can see where the water they dilute milk with is from.

That's a hell of a brand. I bet that cow wishes she lived at the double dot ranch.

Tax Boy: QR codes are the stupidest idea ever.

also, WTF QR Codes

Yes - they're like 1920's depictions of what the year 2000 will be like.

Tax Boy: QR codes are the stupidest idea ever.

also, WTF QR Codes

Why? They're perfectly reasonable ways of encoding data. I actually use some for error-correcting ways of writing data to offline paper backups: if one gets a little smudge or dirt, no big deal. Much less error prone than OCR or manually typing stuff. I can shrink them down pretty small, put a ton on a single page, and read them with a reasonably high-resolution scanner.

Typing on mobile devices can be a pain, so using them to present links to mobile users is pretty handy.

One particular advantage: exchanging the shared secret for TOTP-based one time passwords (such as with Google Authenticator). Manually entering the shared secret is slow and error-prone. QR codes reduce this to "point and click".

That cow does not look amused.

Moobile technology at its finest...


/sorry

heypete: Tax Boy: QR codes are the stupidest idea ever.

also, WTF QR Codes

Why? They're perfectly reasonable ways of encoding data. I actually use some for error-correcting ways of writing data to offline paper backups: if one gets a little smudge or dirt, no big deal. Much less error prone than OCR or manually typing stuff. I can shrink them down pretty small, put a ton on a single page, and read them with a reasonably high-resolution scanner.

Typing on mobile devices can be a pain, so using them to present links to mobile users is pretty handy.

One particular advantage: exchanging the shared secret for TOTP-based one time passwords (such as with Google Authenticator). Manually entering the shared secret is slow and error-prone. QR codes reduce this to "point and click".

I don't need a special app to open a shortened url, I don't need a special app to remember a shortened url, I can use content-relevant keywords in shortened urls, I don't need to open a shortened url the minute I see it, I can't get brand recognition using a QR code

QR codes as replacements for URLs are the very definition of stupidity. They're a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Cormee: QR codes as replacements for URLs are the very definition of stupidity. They're a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

I'd disagree. First off, it's easier to point and tap a button and have a web page open. Typing in URLs requires more effort and is more prone to error.

People also have a tendency to google URLs instead of typing them into the address bar, which means if the address isn't listed on the search engine, it can't be found -- this is especially likely to be the case with tracking URLs preferred by business owners who want to know how much response they're getting from different forms of advertising (i.e. the smart ones).

QR codes can also pull up a map with directions without searches needing to be done. They can also be used to generate a "Like" on Facebook.

They're useful. Perhaps not of personal use to you, but useful all the same, and extremely cheap and easy for small businesses to start using.