The Worst Barcode in the World: A Launch and a Search
The Worst Barcode in the World: A Launch and a Search
The Launch
We’re celebrating the launch of a new website and inviting you to join! Introducing barcodesgonewild.com—have a look.
The Search
This will not be one of those sites with all sorts of crazy designer barcodes, although we’re not immune to some of that. What we’re looking for is real barcodes from out in the real world that are noteworthy for their poor quality. We already have a few samples uploaded, along with some descriptions provided by the donor. Do you have an image of the worst barcode in the world?
What defines “the worst” barcode? Ones that are obviously of poor quality in a visual way are always interesting. But poor quality can also mean symbols that decode incorrectly or have incorrect check digits or are printed in color combinations that are problematic for scanners, or…..? Hey, if this was simple it wouldn’t be interesting or fun!
The Invite
You are invited to upload images of bad barcodes from your files—and if you aren’t sure what’s wrong with them, no worries. Post the images and readers can submit comments and suggested explanations. Please make sure you have permission or authorization to submit any images, or make sure the images are not traceable to any brand owner or entity who may not want their identity disclosed. We don’t want to embarrass anybody or get anyone (including ourselves) into trouble. The idea is to share what we’ve seen and experienced with this fascinating technology and give each other an opportunity to learn about and avoid barcode problems—all in a fun and lighthearted way.
A Contest?
There is already some talk in the lab here about a contest—leave it to the Y chromosomes to turn something co
nversational and informational into a competition. Stay tuned on that one.
Consider yourself invited: upload interesting barcode images you have, or check in and comment about some of the images already there. Welcome! Come on in.
John helps companies resolve current barcode problems and avoid future barcode problems to stabilize and secure their supply chain and strengthen their trading partner relationships.
