If you read my blog post about week ago, you got a basic introduction to QR codes.  That post has lead to some lively conversations on and off line.   On twitter I asked the question “QR Codes – hype or next big thing?”  The responses came from every corner of my follower community.   It was perhaps the most lively conversation I have sparked in a long time with opinions varying widely.   Here is just a few of the comments:

Medical Applications Positive:

JamesAYount The Medical industry started using QR codes because it holds more information   when scanned than a bar code. I see them being used more in the future!

Questioning whether marketing professionals know what to do with them:

chuckgose Giving marketers QR codes is like giving me a power tool. I’m probably not going to do much with it. Neither are marketers. 😉

Some feel they have a place

bckybrwn Used in the right way QR codes can be a valuable part of marketing especially for brick & mortar stores & restaurants.

DebbieMahler I think they are the shape of things to come. It’s a good solution to all the mobile connectivity.

@mobilitycompany: QR Codes Hope to Be This Summer’s Breakaway Hithttp://ow.ly/4RgFB

Become a Fan

The conversation continued off line, after the Social Media Club event.The general theme was that it was too early to tell how far or wide codes would go, but we are in the very early stage, with many consumers completely oblivious to their purpose and marketers missing opportunities by not telling people what the code will do, or how to reach web information if you don’t have a scanner.

What type of scanner will work?  QR code Readers –  On my iPhone I use  i-nigma.   It accommodates images from most camera phones. For the android Barcode Scanner has good reviews.  If you already own Red Laser the price checking application it has been recently adapted to accommodate QR code reading.

So what do you think?  Are you using QR codes yet, and why? What type of results have you seen?