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.
