Better QR it before post it

os: I feel Blogger isn't very user friendly on image posting and HTML editing

I’ve never scanned a QR code before this class. Although I heard about QR code couple years ago, it somehow didn’t catch my attention. Based on curiosity I downloaded QR code reader onto my iPad. I scanned and took the shots of some code around University of Washington IMA building, HUB, and Communication building. Furthermore when I got home I tested the QR codes using my partner’s iPhone. Here are some thoughts I would like to share.

Although the sample size was kind of small, among the ads and leaflets on 4 bulletin boards, roughly 10-15% of ads contain QR code. Meaning even though QR serve as an easy way for mobile devices to access online information, it’s not ubiquitous. Maybe ads in modern day still favor just put on hyperlink or short-link, or perhaps most advertisers didn’t know QR code as new way for mobile access. The UW women’s tennis has gone another way around. They just print out their QR codes, without given URLs.  Now if I’m a smart phone user who doesn’t know what a QR code is or a regular desktop user, without a URL I would have to look up on search engine. In this case the search engine would give you several unnecessary results. Somehow U of Wisconsin ranked over U of Washington, even though I’m at Seattle and Google is location based. Searching on Facebook would first lead me to UW women tennis alumni. Therefore it’s always a good idea to put URL on the ads. Otherwise people won’t land on the right spot easily.

Here are the free QR reader apps I tested:

iPhone: QRCodeScan, Scan

iPad: QR, Scan

The use of QR code readers may raise some problems. It seemed different QR readers have their own way to open up a hyperlink. Scan and QR opened via build-in browser, QRCodeScan gracefully integrated with Safari. While QR codes lead to webpages acted normally, codes that lead to its Facebook page appeared having some confusions. Two Facebook pages were tested: Washington women’s tennis and ISOUW ideas of Karl Marx. If you use QR reader with build-in browser, like QR and Scan, the tennis page appeared fine but the ISOUW required you to log-in since the build-in browser were not connected with other browsers or apps. If you use QRCodeScan, which integrate with the Facebook app (assume you already log-in), the ISOUW turned out fine but the tennis page just won’t show up. Huh!?

All I’m suggesting is QR code that leads to Facebook page should be examined and tested before publish. Any hurdle or hassle might just drives away prospective engagements.