You can store text, numbers, URLs, map locations and ... fiction. Shortish fiction. QR codes can get larger or smaller than this, in terms of how much data they can store, and depending on how much of the storage capacity we reserve for error correction. Version 40, the largest, can store up to 4,296 characters at the lowest error correction rate, but is very susceptible to damage. Given that a QR code is quite hard to read without a scanner it would be nice to put a picture or some text into the image to give a non-enabled human reader a chance to know what is going on. If we use high error correction, we can write across the image without damaging the contained text.
(Some of you may be amused to abuse the legitimate synonyms of Version and think of them as Type 40s. I think we could easily argue for a perceived change of the relative dimensions of text into this two-dimensional grid. You can even eject bits without impairing the core function. Has the BBC sued yet?)
A Challenge, with no losers.
For those of you write, or those who would like to, I present the QR Version 40 ECC H challenge. You have a generous 1,852 characters of text to produce a complete story. At error-correction level H, we have enough redundant bits to write the title of your story across the resulting QR code without losing information, providing the title fits into the 177 pixels you have available. Or perhaps you would like a picture there? Your choice.
1,852 characters. At 6 characters per word, that's 308 words (and a bit).
My suggestion is that we collect stories, render them into QR codes and then produce them for posting up in interesting places. However, if you'd rather just do it for yourself, then please do so!
To help focus the mind, and because every good challenge should have a deadline, I present you with a rather arbitrary deadline for completion, whether you're planning to put it together with some sort of QR collective or if you're doing it for yourself.
Shall we say by the end of November? That's approximately 1,852 hours from now. Best of luck!
(The specification for the codes may be found here or scan the QR code below.)
3 comments:
Your QR image links appear to be broken - they both have a "webkit-fake-url" prefix :)
My reply.
The inability to reply to your entry in an appropriate form, does seem to indicate that there is a flaw in your idea.
Hi,
Links should be fixed now.
Yes, it's not a universally robust idea, but I like the overall idea of being able to post up a short short story that people can just read on their phones. :)
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