A friend recently told me about his first encounter and experience with QR Code. He is your common office-working guy with little or no interest in gadget and prefer meeting up with his friends for a beer, rather than converging in an online platform like Facebook. Facebook, at this point in time, is still alien ground for this friend.

Anyway, he went out with his friends to hang out and noticed a queer looking QR Code at the window panel and he said that he thought nothing of it. Then later, as they all took their seats, he saw another QR Code. Yes, this is a sign that more people are using the technology to market and promote their products. This time, he got a little curious about it because there was a picture of a beer on it.

One of his friends pulled out his smart phone and started loading up a program which was later explained to him to be a QR Code reader. With the QR Code reader, his friend scanned the QR Code with the phone's camera and then it was then connected to a website, some online videos and an interactive blog too.

This friend of mine thought that it was cool and unusual so, he (yes, you've guessed it) pulled out HIS iPhone but it didn't come pre-loaded with a reader. While waiting for his dinner to arrive, they spent some time looking for, downloading and installing a QR Code reader into his brand new iPhone.

So, he tried to scan the code but the first time wasn't smooth. He got it the third time round and now, he's hooked. We should be chortling, shouldn't we?

Anyway, he DID have a point to make which is:-

1. 1. There should be some form of explanation on the advertisement on what the square thing is all about. People who are unfamiliar with it will not scan it because they wouldn't know what to do with it.

2. 2. Even if people knew what it was, they would want to know what they are in for. For example, the advertisement should specify whether it was a contest, a video, a blog, a website, a discount coupon?

3. 2. iPhones should just pre-load the QR Code reader into all the new models out there. Looking for a QR Code reader is just too cumbersome.