We see QR (Quick Response) codes everywhere. We find them at the mall, at school, on a billboard, on a bus and many more places. They look like barcodes on steroids and give people an easy way to obtain information by scanning them with a smartphone. QR codes are awesome and extremely useful, but they do have their limitations.The Benefits
QR codes have changed the way that people access information with their smartphone. One of the major benefits of using QR codes is that they are fast. Instead of typing a painstakingly long web address on a small keyboard, you can simply use a QR code scanner to direct you to web address in a matter of seconds.
They are also extremely versatile in the sense that they can be used to redirect people to a web dress, a phone number, a coupon, an image or anything really. People can even obtain Wi-Fi access through them or add an event to a calendar! There is a multitude of ways that people can effectively and efficiently use QR codes and for a more detailed list, you can click this link.
The obvious limitation of QR codes is security. Because QR codes are not human readable, they could lead you anywhere! Of course, you can get a QR scanner to display the URL before you go the webpage, but what good is it if you do not recognize the URL or it is shortened? Would you still go there and risk the threat of getting malware on your phone? No way. To view some of the security solutions, you can refer to the article "QR Codes and Security Solutions". The other limitation is that QR codes are not always used correctly. Meunier expresses in his article, QR Codes Work (When Done Well), that “The problem is not QR codes, but rather the many ways in which marketers have overdone them in tragically uncreative ways, and not thought about the ways in which this new tool helps us engage our audience in ways they haven’t experienced before”. Why put a QR code on a billboard, a moving bus, or an ad on television that lasts mere seconds? It does not make any sense and is extremely ineffective. If used correctly, QR codes can very useful.
Other References
"7 Things You Should Know About QR Codes." Educause. N.p., 13 Feb. 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2013.
Narayanan, Sankara. "QR Codes and Security Solutions." International Journal of Computer Science and Telecommunications 3.7 (2012): 69-72. Web. 13 Sept. 2013.
This is very good overview of QR codes Sindhu. I agree that QR codes are a amazing alternative to a web address. If QR codes didn’t exist people would be required to type out the address and we both know that people just wouldn’t do it. I do feel they are under-utilized by companies though. Either they aren't used at all or are used for every little thing until it becomes a nuisance. It is a shame that QR codes cannot be more secure in terms of what you are going to get when you scan them. I do feel however that part of the thrill for people which can make them so enticing. I find people often pay attention to the things they don’t know about or rather cannot determine what it is. Even with QR code scanners telling you what the URL is the URL could redirect you to another site. Thank you for the good read =)
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I really like your design of this blog. It is beautiful and clear. As you say, QR codes have changed the way that people access information. I even saw some printed QR in student information boards. However, do you think there are too many QR Codes in our life now? Maybe we need find some way to organize them before they are everywhere.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Microsoft have developed some interesting colorful QR, but they are not free.
Hey Sindhu,
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, this is a really visually pleasing blog and post. That’s a sweet QR code that matches the style of the blog perfectly, nice job!
The organization and flow of this post makes it a nice easy read.
Have QR codes really changed the way we access informations with our smartphones? Maybe I just haven’t given it enough of a chance, but I find it pretty cumbersome to open up my QR reader app, scan the code, and load the page. Do you think built-in QR reader functionality on phones would help them catch on? I hate my clunky QR reader app, complete with adds. Maybe that’s the problem.
Great post!