During the year of 2011, I started seeing QR codes (two dimensional bar codes) printed in numerous materials distributed throughout Bellingham. They'd actually been created in 1994 in Japan, according to this Wikipedia article, but it seems that 2011 has been the year when they've finally started to take off in the United States, probably because the new "smart phones" can be turned into QR code readers if they have integral cameras, just by downloading the appropriate apps.
When I first saw these codes turning up everywhere, I must admit that I didn't quite get it. I was personally in the habit of carrying index cards and pens everywhere, on account of the fact that I'm kind of obsessive when it comes to collecting useful information, so when I saw web addresses which interested me, I just wrote them down.
But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me to put such codes on one's signs and printed materials and maybe even on one's clothes. For most people, manually writing web addresses is just too much hassle. Even for me, having to write them down can sometimes be a pain, if I'm in a place where there's no available writing surface (like sitting in a bus or car while commuting to work). Sometimes I find myself repeating a web address over and over to myself in an effort to memorize it long enough to retain the information until I'm in a position to write it down.
A graphic QR code can easily substitute for one of those long URL addresses common with subdomains (such as one sees with most blogs, unless the bloggers have gone to the trouble of registering their own "regular" domain names and then forwarding them to their blogs) and with web pages buried deep within the structure of the web sites containing those pages. Would you rather write down www.cameras.com/SLR/Canon/SLR/EOS7D.html (as one fictitious example of the type of long name which is typical of some web pages), or would you rather just aim your camera phone at the QR code and capture that long address by taking a photo? That's what they call a "no brainer". I don't yet own a smart phone, but I can definitely see the appeal of doing one's research in this manner.
Of course, not everyone has the ability to read QR codes, because not everyone has or needs a "smart phone", so it's also a good idea to register a regular domain name (or in some cases, more than one such name) for any blog, if one wants to have a more memorable address which makes it easier to find one's blog site. (This would be especially important if one wants to use radio ads in order to send traffic to one's web site or blog.)
That's why I recently registered the names www.artisticrescue.info and www.artisticrescue.com. I've already set up the "dot info" version so that it forwards visitors to this site, and I plan to do the same with the "dot com" version, too, although it's likely that I'll eventually redirect it to a more full-featured web site also related to the Artistic Rescue Project. (Meanwhile, as long as I can keep my domain name fees paid up, I should be assured that no one else will take that name.)
I figure that it makes sense to think of the "dot info" version as the primary name for this blog, since its primary purpose is to provide information (and relevant links). For instance, I can't exactly use the blog alone for an e-commerce storefront, but I can create such a storefront elsewhere, and then link to it from this blog. That's what I plan to do, once I've set up such an e-commerce storefront (possibly with the the Instant Storefront feature now being offered by my bank, which is Chase).
Meanwhile, however, it may be feasible to set up simple Buy Now buttons (in individual blog posts pertaining to specific products I'm selling) which will enable folks to buy single products and to have their payments sent to my PayPal account. Another option is to use the e-mail invoicing feature associated with my PayPal account. PayPal even offers one option which enables sellers to take payments directly over the phone.
Neither of those options is ideal, but they're better than nothing until I'm able to create a more advanced e-commerce system. There are also other options for me, in terms of online sales. For example, I may want to use Etsy.com or another similar service in order to facilitate the sales of products being promoted here.
Getting back to the subject of QR codes, here's the code I had generated for this site at one of the many QR code generating sites one can find online with a simple Google search.
The domain name shown after the actual QR code isn't strictly necessary, but it insures (when printed) that the image will also be helpful to folks who lack the ability to read QR codes.
One way to raise awareness of this project will be for me to screen print the above QR code and text on a T-shirt and/or other materials (campaign buttons, neckties, caps, or even temporary tattoos).
If you start seeing the above graphic image around the town of Bellingham, you'll know why. It will be me (and maybe some of my friends, too) trying to actively promote the Artistic Rescue Project and send web traffic this way.
