What Are QR Codes? –

What Are QR Codes?

So let’s get to the nitty-gritty shall we? Odds are that by now you’ve probably been walking around your local grocery store, or maybe browsing through your favorite magazine, possibly even watching an at home shopping network channel on television, shopping around the mall or department store, surfing the web, etc. (I suppose I could go on and on with examples huh?)—and you happened across this weird looking square thing, and thought to yourself, “What’s that all about?” And if you haven’t…well, that’s okay; it’s bound to happen soon enough—these little guys are starting to pop up all over the place nowadays…So what are they???

Well, it’s a QR code silly!?!

Wait, was that not quite descriptive enough? Oh goodness, where are my manners. I know, of course it wasn’t—I kid, I kid. So seriously, I say QR code and you’re probably like, say what now? QR stands for Quick Response. These little funny looking square things are actually used to store and transmit data, and you can use them by scanning them with your phone (more on that later). Remind you of anything, a barcode perhaps? I know it did for me, which is quite reasonable, they are quite similar. Except these new QR codes are like barcodes on steroids, and they can look a lot nicer too (again, more on that later).

In fact, I’m sure that right about now a number of questions are buzzing in your head. Like, who created QR codes and what is the history of them? What are QR codes used for? How can I use QR codes? Are there any safety issues I should be concerned about? What are some examples of QR code use? How are QR codes better than barcodes? How have QR codes affected marketing practices and me as a customer? What is the future of this technology? Want the answers?—I’ve got them all here for you on my other pages. You’re welcome J.

  • QR Code Wiki – Quick Response (QR) code defined by Wikipedia. Learn about the standards, design, license, variants, uses, risks, etc.
  • What is a QR Code? – Read here about what a QR code is, and how AIDS.gov is using them to promote their program.
  • Answers to the Seven Major Questions about QR Codes  – A terrific read if you don’t know anything or just want to know more about QR codes. Here you’ll find: information on what they are, who’s using them, how they work, why they are significant, what their downsides are, possible future for the technology, and how they can be used or can affect education.