RIP Microsoft Tag

https://www.facebook.com/microsofttag/posts/10151516485761533

by sanatgersappa • 13 years ago

37 29 13 years ago

NKCSS• 13 years ago

Never even knew this existed. While it's nice that you can get analytics because every request is first routed through Microsoft, this has become the opposit of a USP at this time :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Tag#Microsoft_Tag

computer• 13 years ago

Two years notice! That's fairly rare these days, where acquired startups and non-core Google products are shut down without too much notice.

qq66• 13 years ago

The two-year notification is required by their own terms of service, and not giving it would open them to a lawsuit. More big companies should offer terms like these to encourage adoption of protocols/platforms.

sbierwagen2• 13 years ago

Tag was, of course, Microsoft's version of the QR code. It used color pixels, which meant it could encode more information in the same space.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Tag

Unfortunately, the way it's designed, every barcode is just an ID number that points at a Microsoft server, which then forwards the client to the actual URL. Once these servers shut down, every Tag code ever used will break forever.

Which is great. Pretty funny joke Microsoft is playing on whoever made the mistake of using their products.

mmahemoff• 13 years ago

So a proprietary, incompatible, version of a standard no-one uses. I doubt today's notice will surprise anyone.

This real-world (not actually parody) QR code instruction pretty much sums it up: https://twitter.com/peteashton/status/349499283038433280/pho...

franze2• 13 years ago

here are the stats of miniqr.com (a site i built during a sabbatical on a beach in mexico) http://replycam.com/i/miniqr-20130819-130622.jpg

and the google trends for qr-code http://replycam.com/i/Google_Trends_-_Web_Search_interest__q...

so yes, nobody uses QR-codes, and the people who used it are gone now, too.

callum85• 13 years ago

It used color pixels, which meant it could encode more information in the same space. [...] every barcode is just an ID number that points at a Microsoft server, which then forwards the client to the actual URL.

If it's just an ID number, what is the extra capacity for?

RobAley• 13 years ago

At a guess, personalised tracking information perhaps?

sbierwagen2• 13 years ago

The more bits per square arcsecond, the smaller the barcode has to be, which is always better. A high density barcode which just encodes a short number can be tiny.

kylec• 13 years ago

This seems to be a habit with Microsoft - Spot, MSN Music, PlaysForSure, etc, all no longer work because Microsoft insisted on being the only service provider, then later on decided that they couldn't be bothered to continue providing the service.

jpswade• 13 years ago

This is the first I've ever heard of it and apparently it's been around since 2011.

gales• 13 years ago

Feel this is something that should have been handed over to the Internet Archive, as now there will be lots of broken tags scattered all over the place, like the ones in the Alan Wake game. Here's a list of some of the companies that have used Microsoft Tag: http://tag.microsoft.com/tag-in-action/success-story/who-is-...

xncms32• 13 years ago

All credit to Microsoft for the exceptional support they provide for their products. Two years is a very decent amount of notice.

Contrast this to Google, who shut down key services regularly with little warning and provide appalling levels of support even for paying customers.

dvhh• 13 years ago

You obviously haven't use any microsoft DRM

factorialboy• 13 years ago

Was I the only person expecting <microsoft> in IEx?

robmcm• 13 years ago

I would hope so, as HTML 5 supports that right ;)

https://dvcs.w3.org/hg/webcomponents/raw-file/tip/spec/custo...

quarterto• 13 years ago

http://picturesofpeoplescanningqrcodes.tumblr.com/

workbench• 13 years ago

Best Tumblr ever

franze2• 13 years ago

real pics of people scanning QR-codes http://replycam.com/browse.php

threedaymonk• 13 years ago

http://picturesofpeoplescanningmstags.tumblr.com/

(which I made in a fit of apparent prescience last year.)

TazeTSchnitzel• 13 years ago

I thought this was about a #RIPMicrosoft tag on FB.

Now I see what's actually up, and it's a shame, since I liked Tag.

AlexanderDhoore• 13 years ago

I'm confused, why is this on facebook?

kamjam• 13 years ago

My first thoughts too, doesn't seem the like the the best/most appropriate place to publish a public announcement notice.

ck2• 13 years ago

a cloud-based mobile engagement platform for creating personalized, uniquely tailored experiences for consumers to digitally engage with brands

WTF. An advertiser. The single word you wanted is an advertiser.

RIP Microsoft Tag

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