QR

So hi. Been a few days. How you doin'? Cool. So hey, see the big blob of black and white squares above? Yea don't worry, it's not gonna bite. But here's an idea: Whip out your handphone, go into the camera settings and try to find something that says "QR Code Reader" (or Barcode Reader), then bring your device's camera over the picture and watch the magic happen. Go ahead.

Back? How was it, pretty cool huh? So apparently the thing above is called a QR Code (if you haven't figured that one out yet; stands for Quick Response code) and what it does is it essentially brings you to a web page much like clicking on hyperlinks does if you're clicking around on the Internet. Now some of you may be very familiar with the codes already (especially if you live in Japan, Korea or the UK, according to Wikipedia) but some of you might not have ever seen the things before in your life. Like Flying Spaghetti Monsters.

Well I stand corrected.

But about those QR codes. Neat huh? Here's a site you can go to to make your own. Have fun.

So apparently this kind of linking to sites from the "real" world is called "hardlinking", which is kind of surreal if you think about it. It's basically the same as copying down a URL and entering it in your computer when you get back home but there's just this whole "breaking down borders" kind of feeling that you get when you're not dealing with a string of numbers and letters that end in .com. Right? Feel that? Just snap a picture (and you don't even need to press the shutter button).

I think it's cool. But you know what else? It also looks cool. Not like those ugly barcodes from the supermarket (barcode fetishists would object but hey, whatever floats your boat), QR codes are even specifically designed to work if partially corrupted with intentional errors. I call that bad-ass and you know what? I think these folks do too:

Now this may just be the art major talking, but that kind of technology? Is awesome. Especially if it gets people to my art site.

Oops.