Ask HN: Joking aside, does anyone actually use QR codes?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5365003

by tokenadult • 13 years ago

5 14 13 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I've seen previous discussions of QR codes here on HN, and in one of those discussions someone linked to the Tumblr "Pictures of People Scanning QR-codes," which only displays the message "No posts yet." In my own daily life experience, I have yet to see anyone actually scanning a QR code, and don't know of any local friend who recommends using them for anything, so what is the use case for QR codes? Who is using QR codes, for what?

corporalagumbo• 13 years ago

I use them. They're common on posters (both professional and amateur) where I live, and in print media.

Mz• 13 years ago

I have tried to use them and have not been able to make any of them work.

6thSigma• 13 years ago

I scan QR codes whenever I need to link my phone to my Google account via the Google Authenticator app.

Outside of that I think I have scanned a QR code exactly one time - it was on a menu in a restaurant and scanning the code brought up coupons.

dgunn• 13 years ago

I've never scanned one other than out of curiosity the first time or two that I saw one. I wasn't the target demo to be scanning them, I just wanted to know that it worked I guess. I've never scanned one otherwise despite it being "so convenient" to do so. I see very little value in QR codes and expect them to be gone soon. I think they've been on their way out since they were first thought of.

27182818284• 13 years ago

I scan them often, but I've never been anything but disappointed with the content they link to.

dangrossman• 13 years ago

I was looking at refrigerators at Best Buy a while back. Every appliance label had a QR code. I scanned several because it linked directly to the product page on the BB site with customer reviews.

shanbady• 13 years ago

the level up app is useful in certain places

ibudiallo• 13 years ago

Most QR code lead to brand names site. Like California milk, Nike ... And so on. You never need them.

amikazmi• 13 years ago

Using for paying bills, easier that way.

malux852• 13 years ago

Kew Gardens iPhone app developer here, Kew Gardens is a large Garden Park here in London, they have many many species of plants in the park - most have little tags with their scientific names printed on them, wthey just finished printing QR codes to go along side the tags for each plant. Scan the QR code from inside the Kew Gardens app, and we'll take you to the info page for that plant / attraction. (History, endangerment level, buy stuff etc)

coryl• 13 years ago

Do your customers/users scan it?

malux852• 13 years ago

Yes we record statistics, there's about 10 scans a day

Edit: Dont get me wrong, I think this is the only real relevant use of a QR code - all it's doing it making it so the user doesn't have to type a short URL in.

As an app developer I'm always hearing "let's put a QR code there!" and 95% of the time, it's useless and we shoot down the idea

bcoates• 13 years ago

The Los Angeles Metro bus has QR codes on all the stops that integrates with nextrip to tell you when the next bus is coming at that stop. I've used it before but it's rarely more convenient than just using GPS and having it guess the stop you're standing at.

logn• 13 years ago

I was pretty pissed looking for an apartment in LA where every sign had a QR code for you to get the apartment info. I think by you doing this they suckered you into creating an account and/or paying for it. I have no idea how to scan a QR code. I think I searched once in the android store, downloaded an app and it didn't work. They're basically just glorified short urls which doesn't interest me (gratuitous use of technology much?). The cool application I see is to actually transfer real data, but not too many people do that.

Ask HN: Joking aside, does anyone actually use QR codes?

Related Stories