QR Codes Prohibited on ATS in Avatars, Signatures, and Posts...

QR Codes are a form of barcode that is becoming increasingly popular in everyday life. For those unfamiliar with what a QR Code looks like here is an example:



Primarily targeted at smartphones as a convenient way to access websites via the camera, it can also be used on PC's and Mac's with supporting software. While QR Codes are a useful advance in communication technology they pose certain pitfalls in a discussion board like ATS. QR Codes by their very nature obscure the URL and any text that might be contained within them which makes moderation extremely difficult and time consuming. In order to maintain the standards which has made ATS the benchmark for discussion boards in general and the largest most successful conspiracy website on the internet QR Codes are prohibited for use on ATS including avatars, signatures, and within posts themselves. Avatars and signatures containing QR Codes will be removed without notice. Posts containing QR Codes will have the codes removed; with repeat offenders facing administrative sanctions. Any member using a QR Code on ATS to link to or to contain offensive content (something prohibited by the Terms & Conditions Of Use i.e. pornography, etc.) will be post banned and face account termination.

If in the future it becomes easier to manage and assess QR Codes this policy may be modified.

Thanks for your understanding and cooperation regarding this subject.

I think I may have to take some of the blame for this as I posted a thread a short time ago regarding QR codes. Apologies if I have started or been part of something that caused problems.

Regards

Chris

While I love QR for boarding passes on planes, it's not going to fly on ATS. The reality is that we hold our responsibility for our member's privacy sacred above all else. Anyone could add a QR bar-code to any post (or their avatar) that leads to an illegal site or, worse yet, a phishing site that collects our members information.

As MirthfulMe indicated, if QR bar-codes get easier to instantly define their final destination we may change this rule, but, for now, they will remain not allowed. Sorry, in advance, for any inconvenience this may cause our smart phone users (including me ).

Springer...

reply to post by StarTraveller


There's no one to blame, it's just that QR codes have been cropping up more frequently on the board in both posts and avatars and it was proving to be difficult to manage them as the ability to read them varies amongst staff, and by their very nature they can conceal more than a URL can.

S no worries.

reply to post by Springer


I suppose you probably know but there are a few (free even) PC apps that will read QR codes from the screen simply by clicking and dragging out a square around the QR... Now I'm no expert but I would say it would be fairly straight forward for someone who can code properly to put together an automatic QR code reader and incorporate that into the ATS media uploading feature... Then you could filter out any URL's and words on the naughty list.

But of course banning them is far simpler and it shouldn't really bother anyone,

reply to post by Now_Then


Mate, I am having trouble keeping up to the speed of the words, written, let alone a new devised system to try to fathom, please lets just stay at this speed, at least until the world ends

bulla joiner of dots

Originally posted by Springer
While I love QR for boarding passes on planes, it's not going to fly on ATS. The reality is that we hold our responsibility for our member's privacy sacred above all else. Anyone could add a QR bar-code to any post (or their avatar) that leads to an illegal site or, worse yet, a phishing site that collects our members information.

As MirthfulMe indicated, if QR bar-codes get easier to instantly define their final destination we may change this rule, but, for now, they will remain not allowed. Sorry, in advance, for any inconvenience this may cause our smart phone users (including me

).

Springer...

Thanks so much for a direct, and rational (no I don't patronize. Anyway you look much tougher then me) reason as to "why not". Not as familiar w/ certain aspects of conventional computer web communication protocol's, foibles&dumb people moves, making "stupid pet tricks" look like brain surgery, I am learning fast, never fast enough... Thank God for good friends&fellow travelers who understand the digital world FAR, FAR better then I do (then, so does my cat. He must, his typing is better...)

I appreciate the specific comment that indicates concern about any unauthorized re-direct, or planting the equivalent variant and combination of Q fever, anthrax, and any number/s of web-spread social diseases (to me thats just illegal, and in many cases but not most, is. But it is to me immoral.), and twits trying to do whatever they can to be, well I'll clean it up, lets just say bastard's. I DID clean it up... Not to mention the nastier ones w/ State sponsored or other agenda's. The ones I most worry about, we all better, are the "private player's", corporations or any US/ and world wide corporate or any NG entity. THEY are not encumbered by such niceties as the US Constitution, and you know where they stick statute's about "privacy law's"...

Needless to mention, anyone of these entities can do a hell of a lot of damage. And the fact just going to an innocuous looking/deflected or "hidden" actual site is , in some cases specifically designed to plant a nasty something whatever when whoever clicks on a post w/that code format, and doing so spread's their "joy" is well known to me. And really makes me angry. (I have a tendency to cry, a lot, how pathetic). But I also do pretty well on solving certain problems. And know enough to know I don't know s*** in so many areas. And since problem solving is my primary job description, that's how I make my living, I'm not humble or shy And I'm an arrogant ass. At least I know it.

As to having authentication on bar codes to define not just final destination, what if they want to go "no where"? Just sit in each individual computer/server, or "cloud" amalgam (hypothetical spacial-temporal zone that is it's own identifier) and anyone who clicks on the image and is designed to be interactive, but only one "key". Think of it as a variant of the public/private key encryption format. but "1/2 of the "key" is quiet. Better term is dormant. If whatever piece or combination of information is sent it completes in effect "the circuit".

Yet all is hardly lost. There are ways to deal w/said bar codes keeping the required information, and even doing a bunch of stuff to "sterilize" any possible data that wish's to "get drunk and not care who they get pregnant, etc" But that would take some time to go into and I won't on an unencrypted format anyway. But general sender ID (encrypted so a person or company can be associated with only the avatar AND confirmation the bar code is NOT a false ID'd in any other way, so you know it's "really" the original avatar, thats very doable. And I can talk about some of what's being worked on, that I know about* (*obvious statement) If your interested feel free to send me a pm, or contact me at my listed email.

Privacy and authentication are serious personal passions, and my previous firm was very successful in ages past in developing advanced biometrics technologies/products that integrate into the AFIS and other system's, so at least I'm not a total idiot (please don't laugh, I cry easily...) in certain areas. Lord give me the self-directing construction of biological systems any time. Please.

Thanks very much for your concerns and efforts in this area. Believe me when I say, people who care about this stuff both notice and are grateful YOUR site is concerned as well, aside from corporate liability issues, and even if motives are strictly business (I think there more but who cares) I and others DO notice and appreciate your efforts.

Kind Regard;

Bob (Arbiture)

well Bob I am pleased someone has a critical eye on things and perhaps i should invite some one with your critical over site to come down on to my thread and give it the once over to see that none of the above is going on without my knowledge

bulla and the rose and the snakes I will expect to see you there

bulla joiner of dots