Re: Thoughts on current discussion around QR codes

On 2/16/20 11:52 AM, Daniel Buchner wrote:
> Please jettison, forget, and generally bury the idea of an animated
> QR code.

Phil, I think you make valid points wrt. QR Codes and their use in the
supply chain. I agree with you there. However, those are not the use
cases that animated QR Codes are meant to address in a DID or VC ecosystem.

Here's a counter-point:

We still use morse code to this day. I expect morse code is useless to
GS1. It's very useful as a communication mechanism of last resort, or a
communication mechanism that avoids the use of radio waves. In problem
spaces where you want an air-gap, such as exchanging encryption keys,
secret messaging, etc... where you need to exchange some cryptographic
information, or want to do a peer to peer transmissions, animated QR
Codes can get the job done for large-ish message sizes.

For example, let's say we meet up in person and I want to exchange an
encryption key pair with you and be assured that it won't be intercepted
(because I know that I'm transmitting it visually, and not transmitting
it via the Internet). Or, let's say that we're both offline - like when
a hurricane tears through Louisiana, but I still need to prove that I'm
an emergency responder to the National Guard soldier that's guarding an
area to get my access badge, and that I'm qualified to enter a
particular emergency area.

Yes, we could try to use NFC or Bluetooth, but that stuff just isn't
ready to go in a Web Browser yet... and it assumes there is a protocol
in place already (which there isn't, I wish there was). So, what works
for those use cases today are animated QR Codes... because they're the
least common denominator at present, just as morse code is. We could
cycle down to morse code, but QRCodes have enough deployment today to
provide a universal solution via Web Browsers for this very particular
use case.

Yes, this is low priority for most of us... and the tranmission speeds
(30-50 seconds for 4KB) are terrible, but there are use cases that
warrant exploring the space.

-- manu

-- 
Manu Sporny (skype: msporny, twitter: manusporny)
Founder/CEO - Digital Bazaar, Inc.
blog: Veres One Decentralized Identifier Blockchain Launches
https://tinyurl.com/veres-one-launches

Received on Sunday, 16 February 2020 17:24:18 UTC