I really really hate QR codes.

mildpeach@mstdn.social

@sundogplanets
The main problem I have with QR codes is how opaque they are. For any given code:
-Who generated it and is it therefore trustworthy (tw).
-What other sites does the code transit while in use? The generator could be tw but are the cdns used equally tw?
-Is malware, phishing, or data harvesting injected along the transit chain?
-How do you *really* know where your browser is going before you use the qr code?
For me using a qr code in general is asking for id theft.

anne_delong@musician.social

@sundogplanets

There are plenty of good QR code generators. I use
https://www.qr-code-generator.com/

But you are right to be wary - especially when reading QR codes. Make sure that your QR code reader is one that lets you look at the URL first, not one that just loads up automatically. Then you can see that the website being loaded is the one that you are expecting. People have been known to paste fake QR codes over real ones in public places, for example.

phl@mastodon.social

@mildpeach @sundogplanets I feel like the second point onwards could very well be true for any URL you encounter in the wild.

A good QR scanner app will display what it read and lets you choose what to do with that information.

stevenray@sfba.social

@paddi @sundogplanets that’s wild.

jsae@mastodon.social

@sundogplanets

Thank you! I am sad to have missed helping you. (I learned several new options from everyone for when I am in a pinch like you were!)

An option for the list here, a reader-generator combo:

QR Scanner (Privacy Friendly Apps) by the Security Usability and Society research group at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

This is one that pauses to show you the link. It works well paired with the URLCheck app as the default web application.

https://f-droid.org/packages/com.secuso.privacyFriendlyCodeScanner

groxx@hachyderm.io

@phl @mildpeach @sundogplanets yea, just turn off "open immediately" or whatever your setting is

gbargoud@masto.nyc

@sundogplanets

Here is one you can embed an image into by @andrewt

https://www.andrewt.net/dithered-qr-codes/

artnacrea@mastodon.ie

@sundogplanets

I liked this one:

https://justaqrcode.com/

snacktraces@hachyderm.io

@sundogplanets if you are one of those astronomy folks who dabbles in using python on the side, to plot data or ephemeris position stuffs... there are a few libraries for python one can use to create QR codes. No online interaction needed, except to install the library.

rlonstein@social.stonetools.tech

@sundogplanets

https://gchq.github.io/CyberChef/

1. Choose 'Other' on the left.
2. Click "Generate QR Code" and drag it into the "Recipe" box in the middle.
3. Adjust settings if desired.
4. Paste or type your text into the "Input" field on the top right.

That's it. You can even download the page and run it offline since it's all in your browser.

Also, LibreOffice can do it: https://help.libreoffice.org/latest/en-US/text/shared/01/qrcode.html

deborahh@cosocial.ca

@sundogplanets @rayckeith great question, and thanks for sharing the answer!

pabloniusmonk@mastodon.social

@sundogplanets Also was going to mention LibreOffice. But @Vivaldi browser has a QR generator built right into the URL bar. Super handy.

https://help.vivaldi.com/desktop/tools/qr-code/

pabloniusmonk@mastodon.social

@sundogplanets Also was going to mention LibreOffice. But @Vivaldi browser has a QR generator built right into the URL bar. Super handy.

https://help.vivaldi.com/desktop/tools/qr-code/

laurentperrinet@neuromatch.social

Thanks @sundogplanets for the pointer, very useful !

There exists alternatives like this simple programmatic approach offered by

https://pypi.org/project/qrcode/

Once installed, it’s a single command like ˋqr "Some text" > test.pngˋ

infinity@infosec.exchange

@sundogplanets Another nice solution: https://zint.org.uk/

laurentperrinet@neuromatch.social

And you are right @sundogplanets - QR codes really are everywhere these days. What I appreciate, though, is how their ubiquity stems from the inventor’s decision to open-source the technology. It’s a rare example of how sharing an idea can lead to its widespread adoption and utility:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code

dazzr@social.tchncs.de

@dlakelan @sundogplanets
All OS that can run LibreOffice. Local, FOSS, no Google, no web needed.

LibreOffice, because you wanted to get rid of Microsoft 365 Slopilot crap anyway.

bzdev@fosstodon.org

@sundogplanets

I have a QR generator I wrote (using ZXing libraries). It is written in Java, & runs locally on your system. There are Debian packages, but also an installer for other systems (e.g., MacOS, Windows, etc.). You should install openjdk first. The Debian packages will configure the system to recognize icons, etc., but for other systems, I just provided the files as I had no way of testing that. It can also decode QR codes so you can see what a URL is.

https://billzaumen.github.io/QRLauncher/

mediopocillo@boriken.social

@sundogplanets Inkscape includes an extension to make them, and bar codes as well.
https://daviesmediadesign.com/how-to-generate-qr-codes-in-inkscape/

becomingwisest@hachyderm.io

@sundogplanets another one, https://staticqrcode.org/

Done all client side in the browser.

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I really really hate QR codes.