Seems that Welsh Assembly members are one step ahead of the game when it comes to employing web enabled technology. Lesley Griffiths, the Welch Assembly Member for Wrexham, is the first member to use QR codes to allow her constituents to contact her more easily by placing QR codes on leaflets and written communication. The MP's QR code contains her telephone number, email and website address which makes it very easy to store the details in your contacts list. Explaining how QR Codes will be used in her elected role, Lesley Griffiths said:
'Most new mobile phones have a camera and increasingly they now have barcode reading software installed as well. Basically, your phone merges the two technologies and it becomes a scanner which can read a special barcode containing information and data.
'For companies, that information could be about marketing and products - for me, as a politician, the information will be about how to contact me or finding out my views on various issues.
'QR Codes have become extremely popular in Japan over the last two years, with a phenomenal amount of companies now using them. In the UK, they are just about to breakthrough as more and more mobile phones have the scanning software installed as standard. Amongst younger people, the use of QR Codes is beginning to spread like wildfire.
'In future, I hope my QR barcode will be printed on leaflets and written communication. This code will include my contact information - phone, email and web address. Instead of constituents laboriously typing all that detail into their phones, they can now just simply scan the barcode and all my details can easily be saved to their phone.
'Once my constituents recognise what the code is, I am sure they will find it easy to use. It must be simple, if I can do it!
'I also intend to use this technology as a political campaigning tool on leaflet, posters and flyers. I think it will bring a bit of high-tech fun to politics. I believe I am the first politician in Wales - even maybe the UK - to use QR codes to communicate with the public, so the feedback on this will be interesting.'
You can view Lesley's QR code at http://www.lesleygriffiths.org/
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
