Do you use QR codes or do you avoid them?

[joblakely@mastodon.social]

@thesquirrelfish
Makes sense and good advice esp. re: url shorteners.

@weddige @Frantasaur

[joblakely@mastodon.social]

@thesquirrelfish
URL shortener should be really suspect, because there is absolutely no need for one in a QR code.
@weddige @Frantasaur

[davesmeg@mastodon.social]

@JoBlakely Avoid them like the plague.

[realgene@hachyderm.io]

@JoBlakely
I use them for one purpose: Z-Wave "Smart Start" to securely pair new devices.

Z-Wave - Wikipedia

(en.wikipedia.org)

[catsalad@infosec.exchange]

@JoBlakely

[cyberpunklibrarian@masto.hackers.town]

@JoBlakely @catsalad Many of the craft brew pubs I go to use them for their constantly changing draft selections. I don't mind them at all if they're used for something like that.

[gauteweb@mikrobloggen.no]

@JoBlakely Yes, but I prefer to use a QR scanner to see the whole content before I let an app act on it.

[bent0_b0x@norden.social]

@JoBlakely I never use QR codes in public life. I only use them to transfer an url from pc to smartphone.

[unixeno@masto.cubicchaos.net]

@JoBlakely I only use them since GrapheneOS shows the actual link/text with a confirmation screen. When my device doesn't have that, I don't use them.

[joblakely@mastodon.social]

@catsalad
lol. Not gonna do it! Lololol. Is it a rickroll?

[billjelavich@hachyderm.io]

@JoBlakely

[staringatclouds@mstdn.social]

@sasutina13

What we could use is a phone app that reads the code & tells you what it is & only starts a browser if you tell it to

@polinamials @artemis @JoBlakely

[joblakely@mastodon.social]

@staringatclouds @sasutina13 @polinamials @artemis
In the thread there are a couple mentioned like that.

[mriesp@akko.wtf]

@JoBlakely it's probably fine to use QR codes mundane use cases like sharing WiFi with trusted ones, sure. But for my day-to-day, the only path I'd consider is just rick-rolling people with my shirt

[steveclough@metalhead.club]

@JoBlakely I am sort of in two minds over this question. I do use them. When I can be sure know they are genuine and sometimes they are the only way.

But I don't use them if there are other ways. I am not a fan of them, because they are too easy to scam.

[leeloo@c.im]

@JoBlakely
I use the ones my desktop browser generates to quickly open the same url on my phone, but otherwise no.

[staringatclouds@mstdn.social]

@JoBlakely

I should have read back in the thread ‍️

Thanks Jo

@sasutina13 @polinamials @artemis

[joblakely@mastodon.social]

@staringatclouds no worries! It became a surprisingly long thread. Lots of great replies.

[blogdiva@mastodon.social]

@JoBlakely like the plague. i absolutely avoid them by all means necessary. they are the most unsecure shit ever.

[joblakely@mastodon.social]

@AnguaDelphine
That’s an awful and harmful thing to report all as phishing because most of the time it isn’t phishing. Especially when you see arguments in thread about it being an accessibility issue.
I get the concerns, and you can choose to not use them, but to report them without knowledge of if they are real or fake is just inconsiderate to others who are trying to be more accommodating, not cause harm.