[X-Istence]

I decided to see what it would take for me to create a very simple "tag" that I could use to direct visitors to my personal website. Note I didn't adequately document my steps before writing this post, so it is from memory.

1. Go to the Microsoft tag website: http://tag.microsoft.com/ 2. Click the tag manager 3. Log in with your live id 4. Consent to a bunch of terms 5. Click create 6. Follow the steps to create 7. Click render 8. Accept more stuff: http://tag.microsoft.com/resources/implementationguide.aspx 9. Get a PDF of your new tag

The URL for managing your tags is called "ManageAds.aspx".

Then looking at the implementation guide we find this little gem:

"Because the idea of scanning bar codes with a mobile phone camera is fairly new to most people, Microsoft requires you to provide basic instructions near each Tag that explain to users how to download and use the Microsoft Tag Reader application. [...]"

Instead with QR codes I go to http://zxing.appspot.com/generator/ generate a tag, and place it where ever I want. None of my visitors first get redirected through a Microsoft website/URL which looks like this:

  http://rs.tag.microsoft.com/U5SS544JBBGQWZDY5SO3SJJIX346OUSE.aspx?Level=1&VID=5%2B0%2B0&afid=0&TH=_exokqW8DE19hOgWheA%24&CS=U8&PL=qqEVoS0iWnsgtvRRahUwDpOP3lT4xjm1ZQhbA1v%2B33Y_XTYDgevcIqCcZPkuEjELB_S2dmR7FAfr_dAU7ZpsqHgSe3FE77BcYAwWfau1zELNpxfdJk1Vein5v3cjXUd7%2BOHZPti%2BEtwgRV8TLufSDUotLWae4rA4wq5i1EErTH1B89lyMg%24%24

If I want to provide redirect features I can use a QR code that points to example.net/qr-code-poster and have it redirect anywhere in the world. I am still unsure as to why I would ever want to use Microsofts tagging stuff when clearly the user experience with QR codes is much simpler, AND I have more control over the content of the tag, and I can't just have a tag shutdown at the whim of a corporation if that is what it came down to.