[kmfrk]

It requires something about the way we conduct ourselves to change, at least.

I remember reading about how Japanese advertizers would use Google queries in ads instead of URLs - and we in the West did little to improve on that with QR codes - so it's possible that there's a place for .io somewhere. I just think it'd be a really bad idea to use them interchangeably with .com domains.

I guess the same can be said of .co domains, which look like typos to the average person, when they aren't used as shorturls.

[corin_]

> I remember reading about how Japanese advertizers would use Google queries in ads instead of URLs

That's happened in the UK as well, though (in my experience) more often with video adverts (e.g. movie trailers) than print advertising. It began with stuff like "AOL Keyword: harry potter" (was it "keyword"? can't remember, was definitely AOL), and mostly died after that, but have seen it with Google a few times.

And on the flip side, you seem to suggest that QR codes are a western thing - actually they were invented in Japan, and are much bigger in Asia than over here.

[Maxious]

I see "Internet Search: 'model xyz'" in a lot of car ads. Easier to remember than a URL and shows off how good your SEO is ;)

[w1ntermute]

> I remember reading about how Japanese advertizers would use Google queries in ads instead of URLs

This is probably because it's hard for the Japanese to correctly remember web addresses, since they're in the Latin alphabet. By having them remember search queries instead, this problem can be easily avoided.