Like, forever: http://picturesofpeoplescanningqrcodes.tumblr.com/

They just never caught on in the west - but for a while at least they were popular in Japan (maybe they still are).

For me if I see a QR code and there's also a printed url then I'll just google it faster than finding my qr app. If it was more complex data than that it might be useful but I'm looking in my QR code history and I don't see them being used for anything but simple links.

Yeah, the urls were dumb for sure, but communicating cryptographic keys is a pretty great and common use for them.

Authenticator keys, Bitcoin addresses, wallet backup, setting up keys for things like Signal's desktop client, etc. All seem like great uses for QR codes to me.

I know someone that would actually go out of their way to scan those QR codes for contests for the simple reason that nobody ever does and they'd often win prizes by default.

And China also, the Weechat app uses them for so much: paying at restaurants, adding contacts, etc.

For explicit data transfer (e.g. point of sale payment, Bitcoin address exchange) they work well.

For marketing they're stupid.

So we let one (ab)use of it tar and feather the whole technology in the social sphere. Gotta love how we approach tech these days...

What I mean is it's useful when people aren't being punched in the face with them. A QR code to pay for things makes sense. For consumers it's "scan this thing and it transfers", not unlike a tap. In that mode it's a transparent technology. Nobody needs to know what an RFID chip is, or what NFC means. They're all "tap to pay" or "tap to open door".

For other applications where the QR code itself is grandstanding as being somehow important or novel it's ridiculous. In other words, anything that says "Scan our QR code" is an automatic fail because you'll have to open a special app to read it, not the payment app that just happens to use them as a method of data exchange.

Ah yes, Tumblr. I rest my case...

I think you are indeed out of the loop, as this has been a punchline for several years now and is often mentioned in HN threads discussing QR Codes:

http://picturesofpeoplescanningqrcodes.tumblr.com/

I myself have never seen or heard of anyone actually using a QR code. However I read with great interest the HN thread two days ago about how cashless purchasing is done in China with wechat and QR codes, etc.

This is all relevant to my interests as "Oh By"[1], a project I am working on, is (among other things) a replacement for QR Codes.

[1] https://0x.co

Yea last time we went back to China to visit relatives, every other person we saw in a store or restaurant was buying by using a qr code. People rented bicycles using qr codes.

It definitely did. People use it everywhere in advertising where it has no use.

It's useful for other things, like scanning wifi passwords, or inventory tracking. Actually that's about it.

I don't even understand the "comback". As far as I've seen it, they've been and still are quite popular in Asia.

5-6 years ago when it seemed like every ad/poster ha a stupid QR code on it for no apparent reason.

And so one kind of (ab)use gets to dictate our entire perception of the tech? Are we really that shallow?

When that is 90% of people's only exposure to it? Yes, that does negatively impact people's perception of tech.

they're often used for contact information, especially URLs. however, common programs that can read qr codes can also read the same contact info when presented as text. the choice become presenting the data in a way both the user and the computer can read, or in a way only the computer can read.

they do have good uses, but contact info is not one.