Do you use QR codes or do you avoid them?

[zimzat@mastodon.social]

@JoBlakely It depends.

There's a restaurant that has outdoor seating with a QR on each table. It lets me order food without flagging a server from inside so no need to mask up just to get a seat. Menus should still be an option.

One place gives a QR on the receipt to pay on phone or at register

QR that replicates a visible text link are nice to have.

Saw a shopfront with only 'scan QR for hours' and immediately went 'never going there then'.

I hate QRs that are just shortener/tracker links.

[morrick@appdot.net]

@JoBlakely I’m in that grey area between ‘yes’ and ‘no’. There are situations where I use them because there is no alternative. A lot of places to eat where I live don’t have a paper menu and you have to scan a QR code to view it. Some apps need me to scan a QR code as means of authentication.

I’m aware that QR codes can be used maliciously, so I’m certainly not scanning every QR code I see in the wild.

[dukeduke@mastodon.social]

@JoBlakely Hard NEVER. I'd rather lose a limb first.

[joblakely@mastodon.social]

@morrick yeah. When covid began that really took off. It was more sanitary than menus. I just didn’t go to places or I asked for a menu. They did usually have one because not everyone brings a phone with them. I almost never do.

[vrek@mastodon.social]

@JoBlakely depends on qr code purpose and who made it. Like I had a bunch of accounts for different systems with mandatory 36 characters randomly generated passwords. I printed a book with all the usernames and passwords in qr codes. Yeah not best security but it was stored in a locked cabinet and no plain text. We also used qr codes for serial numbers as it was smaller and more reliable.

Now random qr codes stuck to a pole in town... No!

[kimlockhartga@beige.party]

@JoBlakely Only to check in for a vaccine. They make it hell if you say you don't have your phone with you.

[wcbdata@vis.social]

@JoBlakely I usually check to see if they're tracking links or just an encoded URL before using. I avoid trackers - especially big corporate trackers - like the plague. I also develop a rash whenever someone sends me an email with a QR code in it. Yeesh.

[cherrybombspice@mastodon.sdf.org]

@JoBlakely If I must I only use QR codes I trust which is super rarely. There's so many ways to get hacked, I prefer not to risk it.

[softicecreamlesley@famichiki.jp]

@JoBlakely QR codes are wonderful for many purposes but I prefer to order my food from a real, live person.

[joblakely@mastodon.social]

@softicecreamlesley
What if it was on an artists business postcard, or zine directing you to the artists website or similar?

[joblakely@mastodon.social]

It seems that so far, regardless I have to print the website in text. So is there any benefit to using a QR code?

[softicecreamlesley@famichiki.jp]

@JoBlakely Of course. Anything is better than typing in a URL. I own an English school in Japan and using QR codes to help my students access what they need has been a really game changer.

Also, I have a QR code on a poster in the front window of my school that interested people can scan to access our website.

[softicecreamlesley@famichiki.jp]

@JoBlakely QR codes were invented in my prefecture by Denso corporation.

[joblakely@mastodon.social]

@softicecreamlesley thank you! This is good info to know and consider.

[joblakely@mastodon.social]

@softicecreamlesley cool!!

[ainmosni@social.ainmosni.eu]

@JoBlakely voted yes, but the real answer is "it depends". I don't get the hate for them though.

[dch@bsd.network]

@JoBlakely despite my massive concerns these are heavily used in Austria on bills and invoices - the link can be scanned in your bank app and it makes transfer super easy. Far too easy, with no real validation.

[mira@outerheaven.club]

@JoBlakely@mastodon.social that's a very vague question. there are tonnes of uses for QR codes, some good, some bad.

good: exchanging URLs or contact information between two devices

bad: tracking people, replacing public signage

[justin@mastodon.tacoma.community]

@JoBlakely
I go as far as to educate those who have them up on the dangers of them.

[weddige@gruene.social]

@Frantasaur @JoBlakely tbh. QR codes are not more of a risk than a printed URL. They have been used in demonstrations to scare people, but I would classify these demonstrations itself almost as a scam. They usually are based on the implicit assumption, that it would be more secure to copy the URL by hand, which it isn't. Do not rely on recognising phishy URLs to be safe online!

TL;DR QR codes are fine; don't trust any website you got from a flyer blindly.