Bottom line, they link you to content that you cant get without typing in some url into your phone. They are convenient when its relevant. Passing by a restaurant you might want to go to later, launch app with one hand, scan code, keep walking, review menu... They are links that transcend platforms, would you be just at apposed to a rfid tag that you just swipe your device over to connect? I think they are extremely useful when used correctly. They save time and they dissolve errors. They are essentially internet links removed from computers... when I hear the anti qr code arguments I think to my self, well are you against hyperlinks? Do you avoid clicking links that could give you additional information about something your interested in? Then whats your beef with a link on a movie poster or can of soup? They're here to stay until replaced by a nicer looking swifter alternative but the concept will never go away.
Here is my take for what its worth - Great products require great understanding: The designer needs to understand what can be engineered, now, what needs to be invented, and what can only exist in the future, and an engineer needs to understand what the designer wants. And both teams or individuals are responsible for the process and outcome. If you have a flimsy designer that makes everything look pretty on paper but fails to communicate the entire picture, the engineers will inevitably produce sub par work, not because they're bad at their job, but because you did not give them enough to work with, unless you have visionary engineers with a foot in the design department as well. Then again if the engineers only think code code code they will fail to meet the designer where it counts and again the product is sub par. They are 2 parts of the same creative entity, one that lives and relies on communication and understanding. This is unlike the "well oiled machine" where each person or team resembles a mindless cog in some contraption... These are companies that do not understand the ultimate relationship between designer and engineer. It takes a designer with a stubborn focus on the big picture and a razor focus on the tiniest details along with an engineer of godlike skill to not just solve the puzzles set before them, but solve them intelligently (there is a huge difference), while keeping an eye on the final product. The two parts should always demand validation in their understanding of what the other has communicated.
Build a team that does not simply 'do', but a team that thinks, communicates, and understands; and create an environment that fosters this relationship.
Anyone think about the fact that Google has spent years becoming a minimalist for search effort and user experience, making results faster, more accurate, predict better, and be more painless... In short, they make a users experience and interactions with the site quick, almost transparent. Get in get out! Predict and find my results before I'm even done typing and show me the entire site before hitting "search". Now take other sites, how long does it take to find anything on facebook?... for ever, you have to dig and filter, and look and check... Its painful. I know it does not amount to much more than an observation but all that extra time spent does not reflect usefulness or effort on the users side. Id like to see a CPM comparison chart for popular sites!
I've been developing for a while, apps specifically for about 2 years and this is my take on things: Yes, I get many many people saying hey, I have this great idea... or hey, my friend wants to make an app... But here is where I think I may differ from others, I am these people too, everyday I wake up with ideas, I write them down and tell them to myself later, I test my own ideas on myself because I can, I know the industry and I know how to research ideas and more often than not, they are not worth my time. But that does not mean I stop thinking... So why shut out all the other ideas that people, sometimes strangers even, are just throwing at you all the time for free? These could be sources for great inspiration (probably not) but it only takes 1 good idea to make you realize that hey, these are people out in the world with different views, different problems, and different solutions. Its like having 100 brains waking up in the morning going hey write this down I think it could be a good idea.
All that aside, here is what I do every time someone pitches an idea (no matter who they are and what the idea might be):
1) Listen
2) Think about it (is this unique, good, stupid, wait... don't I already have this app?)
3) Ask them some key questions, (how will it make money? How much time do you have every day to work on this? How much money can you spend on this project? Have you done any research on the idea? What other apps are there like this one?)
4) Pull out the iPhone and do a quick search for obvious app titles matching their idea and show them the results then ask, what about all these? Have you tested all of these?
5) Give them a 30 second lesson on using the internet and the app store to research their ideas. (nicely)
6) Give them my contact info if they don't already have it - even if the idea sucked (remember 90% of your ideas suck too) and why miss an opportunity to network.
7) If the idea sparks an interest, Say hey, Id like to see a layout of that sometime. Or if its really great set up a time for a call.
8) If it blows, don't worry, they will probably have forgotten about it a week later.
9) Congratulate yourself on not being an ass and realize that you helped someone, yourself, and the rest of the developers out there. They will be better prepared the next time they begin the "I have a great idea..." speech.
This only takes 5 mins and you really never know what you might hear. Ideas are great because they make us think, they test us, they inspire us, and sometimes they can make us rich if can figure out how to use them well.
Id say call the school, another parent, or any other point of contact you could possible imagine before you go smashing up your car in a panic... I never really understood the lapse of social responsibility in these situations. Not to take away from the complete horror at the thought of your child being shot or kidnapped (I could never come close to knowing how that feels) but these are the inherent dangers that come with new technologies (specifically information tech). I mean really though, what are these parents going to do to protect their kids against armed gunmen? We have witnessed the powerful benefit of twitter and FB, etc in assisting communities and families in the aftermath of disaster, but what have these "instant info systems" done to help people mid disaster or to prevent one all together? It's fast, but its not time travel... Id say just keep your reliable sources on check and close at hand. But then again, I cant say I wouldn't go barreling down the street in a panic to make sure my loved one were ok.
Its out of control down there! 30 years for a tweet (despite the panic it caused) while drug lords roam around like kings... c'mon people, twitter is not your primary source of news for potential emergencies of this caliber. But yeah the story is a bit fuzzy on some of the details. eh.
Also, I have found that "breaking" the willpower mind wall has to do with taking tasks (like good posture, delaying FB status updates, doing dishes) and rewarding yourself mentally along the way by thinking or even saying things like "This is great! or I win!" even so much as smiling while doing these things helps to reinforce the dopamine pathways and can overtime help in "re-coding" your brain to be will-powerful. It's about feeling good while doing things and your brain doesn't know the difference between fake good and real good and before you know it neither will you and that's the point :)
From my experience or learning rather while studying psych I came to believe that as all successful or enjoyable actions are rewarded by dopamine (everything from grasping a spoon so smoking crack). Also, the more closely an action and its reward are pared to one-another in time the greater the strength of the feeling of "that was a good choice or Success!".
So it seems to follow that giving in sooner rather than later (for some potentially greater reward - delayed gratification) rewards the brain more and does so faster thus reinforcing that behavior model more and more successfully over and over.
Because delayed gratification is well, delayed, the chemical reinforcements in the brain don't happen (or happen in some other way that is more conscious rather than instantaneous without reflection). So for a child who has not developed the ability to delay gratification it becomes now or never and that mental reward structure can really hurt them later in life.
Thanks for posting.
:D Thanks for the heads up! I can tell there are a lot of excited founders in here, myself included! "Looks frantically in nightstand drawer for napkin with MASTERPLAN scribbled on it" jk.
Yeah Im kind of realizing this too, we dont want rampant mindless liking. Part of what makes the vote here work is that you can compare posts with one another and see if similar stories were already submitted etc... What if we make the like button really small..."^" so that only people familiar with it will notice it? lol
I can mock up a few for you if that helps? Then we can let people "hnLike" the button to see what people prefer?
Ill keep adding more to the set throughout the day.
I had a land-line when I first moved into my own place only because DSL was the only option for my building... But I signed up with lifeline for $5/month and never really used the phone for anything other than to collect telemarketers voice-mail...
Saves me having to open safari and type in long url (better spel it right too). Im a huge fan of getting stuff done faster so if its cuts out a step Im all over it. But Ill admit that QR tech has a some resistance ahead of itself before people get used to it.
Ill agree though that many QR codes annoy me when it just goes to a home page. staples.com is not difficult for anyone to type in...
Im sure there is some character count threshold for the average user where a QR code would be worth the effort of opening the scanner app and scanning it rather than typing in a URL.
Then again there is placement, Im not going to be able to scan a QR code on a freeway billboard or on a car going by but on a subway or bus advert where Im already stuck in a spot for 10-15 mins and probably already have my phone out is great placement. Advertisers and QR codies have to be smart otherwise it will turn people off and it becomes just another thing in our face.
