Why do people fall for this?

[kitten_tech@fosstodon.org]

@revk a similar thing that saddens me is shop/van signs saying "https://joes-garden-services.com/ joesgarden2241@gmail.com"... You've got that lovely domain, why not use it for email?

[bencotterill@mastodon.social]

@neil @revk Only time I can see the need for a QR is for something very specific.

I.e. I am vegetarian and coeliac. So for the hundredth time I will be told that the only thing I can eat is a tiny overpriced bowl of olives.

[jonossaseuraava@post.ebin.club]

@jelte
@revk
Same deal with rest of tech as well

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@BenCotterill @revk

I prefer to see a QR code alongside the information contained within it, rather than just the QR code, but as an easy means of transferring data, I like QR codes.

[bencotterill@mastodon.social]

@neil @revk I prefer the staff to know it off by heart. I did.

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@BenCotterill @revk We are still talking about a shop window, right?

[bencotterill@mastodon.social]

@neil @revk Yeah.

[woe2you@beige.party]

@neil @BenCotterill @revk And the place for QR codes is the bin. I'd rather pick up and reuse needles from the ground than follow a link that could be pointing literally anywhere because it's not human readable.

[guardeddon@mas.to]

@kitten_tech @revk
… while most of Joe’s online ‘traffic’ goes via a Facebook page. Where everything’s an image (& not a scrap of alt-text). I despair!

[revk@toot.me.uk]

@woe2you @neil @BenCotterill My iphone shows me the domain before I follow the link.

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@revk @woe2you @BenCotterill

Same here on Android.

As I say, I prefer to see the content separately, but I appreciate the convenience of a QR code.

[rogerbw@discordian.social]

@neil @revk @woe2you @BenCotterill Of course, this is another reason to show the code for mycompany.co.uk rather than dodgyintermediaries.com.

[revk@toot.me.uk]

@RogerBW @neil @woe2you @BenCotterill Indeed.

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@revk @woe2you @BenCotterill

But I am, I suppose, coming at this from the perspective of a QR code for a URL *where the actual URL of the target* is in the QR code. Not some "QR-code-as-a-service" proxy.

But then I feel the same about link shorteners etc., for plain text URLs: just show me the actual destination.

[neil@mastodon.neilzone.co.uk]

@RogerBW @revk @woe2you @BenCotterill

Yes, snap.

[woe2you@beige.party]

@neil @revk @BenCotterill At this point it's safe to assume all shortening is explicitly to disguise tracking.

[raymaccarthy@mastodon.ie]

@KaraDanvers @revk
No need for a short URL (They are terrible things).
Also loads of free QR code generation SW.
Inkscape is one.

[mark@social.markiswrit.ing]

@jelte @revk And the Services, which appear as sponsored results at the top of the Google results, aren't up front about what they are offering.

[jamesholden@mas.to]

@revk Some companies use a QR code forwarder to send the user to the relevant App Store based on iPhone/Android user agent. If you check the parking companies’ TrustPilot reviews, you will find people who have been scammed by the interstitial ad, because the company is using the ad supported version instead of paying. It happed at my day job. Thanks, marketing department!

[happysteve@mas.to]

@revk
Missing (so far) in the replies is how to generate a QR code with the text or URL you want. I didn't know.

I accidentally found out that using duckduckgo to search for "qr code https://www.example.com" generates the qr code.

(Initially I searched for "qr code format" and was surprised, but delighted, to be presented with a QR code that represents the word "format")

The Wikipedia page on QR codes suggests LibreOffice can generate them too