<![CDATA[Why do people fall for this?]]>Why do people fall for this?

Second time I have seen a nicely printed sign in a shop window with a which when scanned says your free trial is over.

Just make the QR go to your own website FFS.

[helpful info: my free code tools https://qr.revk.uk and web QR encoder https://4.gg at bottom of page - includes a lot of QR abuse as well]

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/topic/36e0c0ef-6652-48f1-a796-7a0a80c0b86e/why-do-people-fall-for-thisRSS for NodeSat, 18 Apr 2026 20:24:07 GMTSat, 18 Apr 2026 06:47:59 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:56:15 GMT]]>@revk@toot.me.uk The rot set in when browsers started hiding URLs from the user.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://fedi.social/notes/al7wngvc2noy05s8https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://fedi.social/notes/al7wngvc2noy05s8Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:56:15 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:42:37 GMT]]>@revk@toot.me.uk Presumably a cursory web/app search will return plenty of shiny-looking QR generators that are in fact URL redirection services, and that that isn't inherent to the nature of QR codes is a subtlety that's going to be lost on most people.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://fedi.social/notes/al7w5xd32noy05qvhttps://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://fedi.social/notes/al7w5xd32noy05qvSat, 18 Apr 2026 12:42:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:08:36 GMT]]>@revk This is what happens when everything is a service. It never occurs to folks to just generate these things ourselves (or at least vet the services we use) so we take the most convenient path. We usually don’t notice that the QR code redirects through the service we used until it’s too late.

A key concern with offloading everything to services (outside of silly things like privacy and security) is that it becomes a habit where we can produce semi-acceptable results without having to do much thinking or work. It’s easy to get out of the habit of putting in thought and effort in the first place.

Okay, that’s a lot, but it’s Saturday and I just became caffeinated.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/ghostinthenet/statuses/116425629142119419https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/ghostinthenet/statuses/116425629142119419Sat, 18 Apr 2026 12:08:36 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:32:26 GMT]]>@neil @revk The only use of shorteners I really approve of is "shortening as apology". As in, "I'm sorry we've been forced to use this awful system which generates 128 char URLs, and until we can replace the management who outsourced it here's the workaround"

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/gra/statuses/116425486919949425https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/gra/statuses/116425486919949425Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:32:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:22:45 GMT]]>@revk @happysteve You should add a link to 4.gg from your codeberg page. I only ever remember qr.revk.uk.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/tripplehelix/statuses/116425448878059836https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/tripplehelix/statuses/116425448878059836Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:22:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:20:05 GMT]]>@revk It's all the web generators. They all go through their servers and require subscriptions.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/tripplehelix/statuses/116425438356488044https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://tech.lgbt/users/tripplehelix/statuses/116425438356488044Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:20:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:11:39 GMT]]>@manualcookie yes

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.me.uk/users/revk/statuses/116425405185063796https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.me.uk/users/revk/statuses/116425405185063796Sat, 18 Apr 2026 11:11:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:27:07 GMT]]>@revk Whats that about all caps? Do they generate less complex QR codes?

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/manualcookie/statuses/116425230107519175https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://hachyderm.io/users/manualcookie/statuses/116425230107519175Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:27:07 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:04:39 GMT]]>@revk I make QR codes for links in our printed parish magazine, alongside actually typing out the url. There are any number of generators available; I use yours Rev!

Can recommend Binary Eye reader; FOSS and lets you choose what to do with the text it reads.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/Slash909uk/statuses/116425141755184361https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.me.uk/users/Slash909uk/statuses/116425141755184361Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:04:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:01:20 GMT]]>@pmdj @revk @KaraDanvers I really wish society was set up such that there was always a local guy, gal or nonbinary pal or a few who just Know Tech and who the local people who need tech set up turn to. But instead no, all you get is capitalism and free trials and a few companies gatekeeping email.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/ozzelot/statuses/116425128699163348https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mstdn.social/users/ozzelot/statuses/116425128699163348Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:01:20 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:44:06 GMT]]>@revk @KaraDanvers
Short URLS are *potentially* evil as you can't know what they are for.
My phone app to read barcodes & QR codes displays the text and offers a selection of options, which may include the default web browser.

I (and others) never click/tap a short URL. They seem to have been invented for Twitter. Here uses 23 chars no matter what length URL is and real URLs are no problem for QR codes.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/raymaccarthy/statuses/116425060937890607https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/raymaccarthy/statuses/116425060937890607Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:44:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:33:24 GMT]]>@happysteve Yeh inkscape, and many other. I wrote a QR generator, see HTTPS://QR.REVK.UK

You can also generate at HTTPS://4.GG

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.me.uk/users/revk/statuses/116425018871975235https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.me.uk/users/revk/statuses/116425018871975235Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:33:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:31:37 GMT]]>@raymaccarthy @KaraDanvers I did not know added to inkscape... I have https://4.gg

Yes it does short URLs but bottom of page codes any QR you want.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.me.uk/users/revk/statuses/116425011822945411https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.me.uk/users/revk/statuses/116425011822945411Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:31:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:28:26 GMT]]>@RogerBW @neil @woe2you @BenCotterill May have to register dodgyintermediaries.com

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.me.uk/users/revk/statuses/116424999343512166https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.me.uk/users/revk/statuses/116424999343512166Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:28:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:20:39 GMT]]>@mark yeah those are almost by definition going to be predatory 😞

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.nl/users/jelte/statuses/116424968740451293https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.nl/users/jelte/statuses/116424968740451293Sat, 18 Apr 2026 09:20:39 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:57:11 GMT]]>@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

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/happysteve/statuses/116424876447701723https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/happysteve/statuses/116424876447701723Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:57:11 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:54:56 GMT]]>@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!

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/jamesholden/statuses/116424867595980383https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mas.to/users/jamesholden/statuses/116424867595980383Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:54:56 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:39:45 GMT]]>@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.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.markiswrit.ing/users/mark/statuses/01KPFVXY113NYF63ETS983K3XVhttps://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://social.markiswrit.ing/users/mark/statuses/01KPFVXY113NYF63ETS983K3XVSat, 18 Apr 2026 08:39:45 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:33:13 GMT]]>@KaraDanvers @revk
No need for a short URL (They are terrible things).
Also loads of free QR code generation SW.
Inkscape is one.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/raymaccarthy/statuses/116424782241737615https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.ie/users/raymaccarthy/statuses/116424782241737615Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:33:13 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:18:26 GMT]]>@neil @revk @BenCotterill At this point it's safe to assume all shortening is explicitly to disguise tracking.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://beige.party/users/woe2you/statuses/116424724078737383https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://beige.party/users/woe2you/statuses/116424724078737383Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:18:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:14:50 GMT]]>@RogerBW @revk @woe2you @BenCotterill

Yes, snap.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/users/neil/statuses/116424709943186208https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/users/neil/statuses/116424709943186208Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:14:50 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:14:06 GMT]]>@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.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/users/neil/statuses/116424707052996754https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://mastodon.neilzone.co.uk/users/neil/statuses/116424707052996754Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:14:06 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:13:55 GMT]]>@RogerBW @neil @woe2you @BenCotterill Indeed.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.me.uk/users/revk/statuses/116424706357833731https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://toot.me.uk/users/revk/statuses/116424706357833731Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:13:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Why do people fall for this? on Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:13:37 GMT]]>@neil @revk @woe2you @BenCotterill Of course, this is another reason to show the code for mycompany.co.uk rather than dodgyintermediaries.com.

]]>https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://discordian.social/users/RogerBW/statuses/116424705164937297https://board.circlewithadot.net/post/https://discordian.social/users/RogerBW/statuses/116424705164937297Sat, 18 Apr 2026 08:13:37 GMT