"The Los Angeles Blues are excited to announce they have entered into a groundbreaking partnership with The Bar Pages, a technology and consulting firm that specializes in mobile barcodes (QR codes). With the move, the Blues look to become one of the first fully interactive professional sports teams and a pioneer in USL PRO. Supporters of the Fullerton-based club will be the primary beneficiaries of the partnership, as they will be able to take full advantage through the use of their smart phones..." More: http://labluesprosoccer.com/home/586270.html Curious to hear what people think about this. Will you/Would you be a "frequent scanner" or do QR codes not appeal to you? What do you think the technology can do for the Blues and their fans in 2012 and for the sport in general?
From the article: I guess I don't understand the technology. What exactly does this do? Can you give some examples of how it works?
QR codes are 2D bar codes that can be decoded using a smartphone with a QR code reader. They started as a tracking mechanism for car parts and have since become increasingly popular in other areas as well. You need two things to decode a QR code: (1) a cell phone with a camera and an internet connection, and (2) QR code reader. Smart phones these days usually have a QR code reader already installed. Otherwise you'd have to download and install it yourself. Just make sure that the reader is compatible with your phone. Some only work with iPhones or Androids, for example. With the reader installed, you then launch the application and take a picture of the QR code with a steady hand. If the scan should fail, just try again and make sure the entire code is in the picture. The app should take no more than 30 seconds to decode the information written behind the code, which will usually be a link to online content such as one of the things listed in the article ("videos from your favorite players, ticket specials, promotions, discounts from local vendors and plenty more"). To give just one example, you might find a QR code in the gameday program next to the bio of a Blues player. Then, as you snap a picture of it, it might open an exclusive interview or a video with that player's best goals from the previous season. QR codes could also be on a fence at the stadium or on your seat - anywhere really.
Sounds interesting, thank you for the thorough reply. Speaking of technology, how do we get more than you, myself and the moderating on this forum? Though I admit more than one person likely post under your handle…. Anyway, I don’t know if they still do but the Galaxy used to have a direct link from their website to their forum on bigsoccer. Might help drum up some interest.
Actually, there's only one person posting under this handle. It's our preferred method because it makes it much easier to "speak with one voice" Excellent point about adding a direct link to this forum from our website. We've actually discussed the idea internally before, and there's a good chance it may become a reality. Keep those suggestions coming!!