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Low Latency No. 14: To the end of QR codes...

Low Latency chimes in on just how ineffective and trite QR codes have become.

Blake Stevenson
Crave cartoonist Blake Stevenson is a full-time Web/graphic designer and illustrator working a day job in marketing. He fills the rest of his time creating illustrations based on his love of music, video games, comics, and old-school pop culture.
Jeff Bakalar Editor at Large
Jeff is CNET Editor at Large and a host for CNET video. He's regularly featured on CBS and CBSN. He founded the site's longest-running podcast, The 404 Show, which ran for 10 years. He's currently featured on Giant Bomb's Giant Beastcast podcast and has an unhealthy obsession with ice hockey and pinball.
Blake Stevenson
Jeff Bakalar
Blake Stevenson

QR codes were effective when there was no context surrounding them. If you saw one subtly stickered below an enigmatic poster, there was an incentive to do some research and figure out what was going on. It was like a secret game. Now QR codes are no longer cool. They're everywhere. Corporations have stripped them of their street cred and now they're the advertorial equivalent of getting a "like" from your grandmother on Facebook.

Low Latency is a weekly comic on CNET's Crave blog written by CNET editor and podcast host Jeff Bakalar and illustrated by Blake Stevenson. Be sure to check Crave every Thursday at 8 a.m. PT for new panels! Want more? Here's every Low Latency comic so far.