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Comment by yannickmahe | Hacker News Reader

I saw one use of the QR code that impressed me: in my city (Lyon, France), on bus stops, there are QR codes. Following them leads to a web page where you get the waiting time for the next buses. This is a quick and cheap way to display the waiting time without adding hardware to the bus stops.

The only good point I see for the QR code is that it makes it easier to get to a webpage. That made perfect use of it.

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It would be faster and easier for a Short URL in place of a QR code in most cases.

For example - at the bus stop with a QR code I would have:

- locate an app I rarely use in the Menu

- open app

- depending on app, hit button to go to camera

- snap photo

- processing time

- opens web browser... (sometimes I'd get a confirmation page prior to the action)

With a Short URL:

- open browser thats prominently placed on my phone

- tap in Short URL (bit.ly/xYz123XyZ)

Manually typing a Short URL is a very low pain point in comparison to QR codes these days.

I always feel it's kind of a pain to type in a smartphone, especially URLs where autocorrect can't work.

m.tcl.fr/123 wouldn't take so long I guess, but to me it feels more annoying than opening the app (which is on my second screen) and clicking on the "scan" button.

Or even text messaging. Text "M15 AT 53" to "311411" and you find out when the next bus is going to be at your stop. That'd work.

Melbourne uses a four digit number for tram stops (for use via text, automated voice, web and apps) and it works quite well. http://tramtracker.yarratrams.com.au/phone/

facebook.com/myawesomecompany is probably the best and easiest

My University (The University of Kentucky) actually just implemented this this year. We scan the codes and we can either go to a webpage or download an app that has the GPS location of the buses with ETA. Pretty cool, actually.

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