Just a random comment

So while I was doing research for my BA thesis today, I came across an interesting sentiment in one of the books I was reading about New Media. It reminded me of what Anna Vera had written about her reasons for not registering on Twitter. She claimed that even without doing that, she had completed half of the assignment: she was completely aware of the different uses, advantages and disadvantages of Twitter.

So here is the excerpt. David Gauntlett (author, Professor of Media and Communications at the University of Westminster) is listing the key points of an outline for Media Studies 2.0 (in contrast to 1.0, which lacks an appropriate assessment of Web 2.0).

“The patronizing belief that students should be taught how to 'read' the media is replaced by the recognition that media audiences in general are already extremely capable interpreters of media content, with a critical eye and an understanding of contemporary media techniques, thanks in large to the large amount of coverage of this in popular media itself.” (David Gauntlett in Digital Cultures: Understanding New Media, 2009: 8)

Comment if you will, I just thought it was an interesting viewpoint, worthy of sharing. (And I haven't posted anything here in a while now, so this totally came in handy.)

And here's an awesome gif of Troy and Abed sitting in a blanket fort.

QR code

Probably, most of you have already heard about QR codes. However, if you belong to those who haven’t, then here is a blog entry for YOU.

In the last couple of weeks, I bumped into these little (or not that little) signs basically everywhere and I had no idea about their function. I saw them on the last page of leaflets, on the bottom corner of posters/billboards on the streets or in the underground stops. I even saw one - in extra large size - on the side of a house. So, I became curious what they could be good for. 

First of all, let’s make this acronym clear for everybody. ‘QR Code’ is the short version of Quick Response Code. These codes are similar to a simple barcode that you can see on packages and labels of every single product in shops. The difference between a QR code and a barcode – besides their appearance – is the capacity of information they can hold and share. As for the exterior, a barcode is a linear one-dimensional code and its capability goes up to 20 numerical digits, whereas a QR code is two-dimensional matrix barcode that is able to store thousands of alphanumeric characters of data.

They look like this:

QR code

The code was invented in Japan in 1994. Originally, it was designed for automotive industry (for Toyota’s subsidiary, Denso Wave) but nowadays they are used worldwide  in consumer advertising and packaging.

Now, let’s have a closer look how they work. To read a QR code, you need to have a camera-enabled smartphone. If you’ve already had one, then you only need to download a QR code reader that is able to scan a code like that. (You can download one from the website of i-nigma or kaywa). From this point, the whole process is just a piece of cake. You enter your ‘camera function’, let your QR reader scan the code and hop! you are on the advertiser’s website immediately. Once, the code is on your phone, you can have the latest information straight from the horse’s mouth. You can obtain relevant details about the given business or get the direction to there. Or you can find an URL link which you can click on to see a movie trailer. In other cases, you can get a coupon which is consumable in shops. The list is endless.

A card company, for instance, uses QR codes in business:

You can use QR codes in a number of ways. Here is a video for brainstorming:

And now, probably you get some ideas what for you would use a QR code. Then, this is the time, I guess, to generate your own code. You can do that using kaywa again or studying a bit closer Google’s tool here. 

Ok, so now you can easily grow your own business! ;) Go ahead!!