In the last two weeks we have talked a lot about QR codes because of a patent held by Making Everlasting Memories, that restricts the use of QR codes linking to memorial websites. If fact, Friday I took a little heat from a few readers about a small opinionated remark I made in regards to a quote from MeM CEO G. Scott Mindrum.
Well, with QR codes fresh on my mind heading into the weekend I was quickly drawn to the article title below. The article below is from Mashable.com, the largest independent news source dedicated to covering digital culture, social media and technology, and was posted to their site Sunday evening. When I read the article I did laugh out loud.
The article is titled “10 Funniest QR Code Fails” and as you might guess I was suspicious to see if possibly they showed a QR code on a headstone.
Instead of recapping the article for you, here it is:
Below Article Originally Appeared on Mashable.com
“10 Funniest QR Code Fails” By: Christine Erickson
It’s become nearly impossible to leave your house without seeing QR codes scattered everywhere. They’re on billboards, in your newspaper, even on your cereal box — enticing you to scan them with your smartphone, and then leading you to who-knows-where on the Web.
Where will the QR code madness end?!
Two designers set out to find the craziest usage of QR (Quick Response) codes and poke fun at them. The result is a new Tumblr called WTF QR Codes
“I started taking pictures of them just to capture the ridiculousness,” says Brad Frost, a mobile web strategist and front-end designer at digital ad agency R/GA. “I started scanning them because many should go to worthwhile mobile-optimized web experiences, and as a web designer I was curious to see if that actually happens — it almost always doesn’t.”
The site is a side project for Frost and Craig Villamor, who is the director of mobile user experience at Salesforce.
“Using QR codes to drive people to the very TV spots they skip over with DVR isn’t just bad user experience, it’s insulting,” says Frost.
Although Frost says there are most certainly good opportunities for QR Codes, such as paying bills or playing web games between various screens, this form of technology is being misused by marketers.
“With augmented reality, NFC and photo recognition all on the cusp of becoming mainstream, I think we’ll see a drop in QR codes — but until then we have some great fodder to work with,” says Frost.
The creators of WTF QR Codes have selected the most “WTF,” hilarious picks of the website. Which is your favorite? Let us know in the comments.
