Thing 18           QR codes

I now appear to have sorted out the problem with Google Chrome and all seems to be as it should be once again, which is a relief. However, I have decided to use Internet Explorer to try out the QR code sites, just in case!  I began noticing these strange squares well over a year ago when they appeared on a cooker programme I was watching and you could download the recipes from it, which I thought was a really good idea.  I also noticed them on bust stops for timetable info, also a good idea.

However, like Facebook and Twitter, although it is really good for some things, for others it is not quite as appropriate, but because it is the "new thing", it is used anyway.  I do see much less of these codes nowadays and not sure if it is because, like me, it is much easier for web site links, just to go to it via a phone or mobile device, rather than trying to get your phone to read these things.  Or maybe, they are everywhere and I have stopped noticing them because so prolific.  However, I have only had a smart phone for a few months so only just been able to try them out.  My impressions so far are that they are fiddly and less than satisfying, certainly to go to a websitre.  I can see that they have uses for messages and instructions, but still not sure I would use them.

I have tried to generate this, and it should go to my chocolate tasting club - http://www.chocs.co.uk  but I am pretty sure it does not.  When I try it on my phone, it gives the address of the QRcode webpage (and says I have to sign up and pay to change the name), and nothing else happens.  I spend so long trying to centre it and hold it still that my phone just times out in the end, whereas I could have tapped it into the search facility and been there by now.  So probably will not use these, though I suspect I need a workshop on them first.

 

 

Thing 19             Tagxedo

Emma was right.  Tagxedo and Wordle were very quick and easy to get the hang of. No logging in, no registering, no password to remember, just a lot of fun.  I could play with this for hours, and it would be perfect for posters and fun pictures.  The text I used for Tagxedo is taken from my personal spreadsheet of my main choc stash (Yes - I have several different groupings and themed collections.  I am a Librarian.) The words are from the name/description field, not the manufacturers.  It was interesting to see how my favourite things came up bolder and emphasized my love of salted caramel.  It seemed appropriate to use the cup design as reading the words makes you want to kick back and treat yourself.

Thing 19             Wordle

  I found a poem by Langston Hughes, called 'Harlem sweeties', and this is the Wordle picture from it.  I changed the colours to chocolate colours and played around with the font a bit - lots of nice ones to choose from.  I also picked a nicer backgraound colour from a huge spectrum of shades, but did not seem to be able to combine it with my font range, so stuck with a white background.  Layout options were very simple - horizontal, straight, vertical or a bit of both (see below), but I fondly like to think that mine does resemble a cocoa pod.

The fun came when after snipping and saving, I could not load the image onto the blog.  It turns out that Chrome (who I am starting to despise) would not let me do this, but Internet Explorer would. A simple change of browser, and I have my image. 
Yes - really like these sites.