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  • 1.  best source for QR/scannable codes?

    Posted 08-03-2015 09:13 AM

    We want to start creating scannable codes for smartphones at our museum--does anyone have some good recommendations to offer?

    Thanks,

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    Nezka Pfeifer
    Curator
    Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science & Art
    Scranton PA
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  • 2.  RE: best source for QR/scannable codes?

    Posted 08-03-2015 10:56 AM

    Hey Nezka,

    I think I might be able to be of some help for you! What are you using the scannable codes for? 


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    Zachariah Reiner
    Product Lead
    Cuseum
    Boston MA
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: best source for QR/scannable codes?

    Posted 08-04-2015 10:15 AM

    Hi Nezka,

    I would advise against putting time and energy into QR codes. There have been discussions on this list and others that demonstrate most visitors don't use them. And generally, I think the public at large sees them as passe.

    If you can provide people with a short URL to get to the same info. people are more likely to be accessed.

    Not sure if you can search the archives of this list's discussions, but there was a good post on this a few months ago. Someone had actual data, I think. And I know a lot of us have anecdotal evidence that they aren't worth the time and effort.


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    Juline Chevalier
    Head of Interpretation and Participatory Experiences
    Minneapolis Institute of Art
    Minneapolis MN
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: best source for QR/scannable codes?

    Posted 08-05-2015 06:53 AM

    Agreed! Great concept but very disappointing results. Short url is the way to go. 

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    Nora Wagner
    DIRECTOR, PROGRAMS, DUKE FARMS
    HILLSBOROUGH NJ
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: best source for QR/scannable codes?

    Posted 08-05-2015 08:17 AM

    Thanks!

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    Nezka Pfeifer
    Curator
    Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science & Art
    Scranton PA
    ------------------------------


    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: best source for QR/scannable codes?

    Posted 08-05-2015 09:10 AM

    Nezka and Juline,

    If you are interested in searching the archives for past discussions related to QR Codes it's as simple as entering your search term into the search box at the top of the screen - on any page of the Junction. This search filters the discussions in the Open Forum.

    Yu-De Lee posted in April about a study his museum conducted on the use of QR Codes that you might be interested in reading. There are also a couple of other posts on QR Codes and QR Code research in this thread.

    Happy searching!

    Best,
    Cecelia

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    Cecelia Walls
    Information Center Manager
    American Alliance of Museums
    Washington DC
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: best source for QR/scannable codes?

    Posted 08-06-2015 02:41 PM

    Agreed; don't use them, what we found was that most people did not have an app installed to use the QR tags and most did not want to go through the effort of installing the app.  We also don't use custom apps as this is the same issue, you have to get them to install the app, and can get very expensive to build an app that most visitors don't use.

    We use very simple URLs (I don't mean the tinyURL service), The URL should be as short as possible and don't use numbers or any special characters. The idea is that most visitors know how to use the smartphone web browser (and have one installed).

    You don't want to use numbers or special characters in the URL because may smartphone users will then have to switch between letters and numbers. You can setup a simple URL for your museum, for example you can use emnhsa.org (which is available). Here you can then create a user interface that would link to Galleries in your museum.

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    Raymond Stivala
    Manager of Web/Multimedia Development
    The Newark Museum
    Newark NJ
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    Original Message