QR code integration on profile for address & PGP key?

[Flexystar]

This could be good idea or stupid idea but what would it be like if we use the space on the profile to display the QR code for the address which has been entered into the BTC Address field?

Well just a small edit to imagine how it would look like.

This can help us send the bitcoins quickly to any user we want. Lets say by just scanning the QR code from you phone you can capture the correct address. We can also avoid mistakes of copying incomplete addresses or wrong addresses on the clipboard.

For QR codes, it will be error free as long as user has entered the wrong address.




We could take this even further by adding one more QR code below the address QR code. This could be our PGP key for profile verification. This can add additional account authenticity.

As far as I have seen, we are sticking the bitcoin address and signed message on the thread and someone is verifying it for us. We can either link PGP to QR and display it directly.

Or if this idea ring a bell for even more other ideas related to this then do comment about them too.

[jackg]

The idea on its own i think is a good 0ne but it faces challenges. One of those might be a lack of checking the address you've scanned is the right one. I've an updated version of android where you can derive the text of a qr code from a photo/screenshot, for those that rely on third party apps this is another spectre of attack.

There's the question too of what you scan? Do you scan a bitcoin address or a link (this isn't standard among bitcoin wallets either, especially on mobile)? And if it's a link, you could argue a link should be placed in the address field too (although I'm uncertain as to why it isn't).

I think it'd be a good use of the space where an Avatar is though (perhaps below it) and it's not a bad idea as most mobile wallets have qr Integration.

[LoyceV]

This can help us send the bitcoins quickly to any user we want.

How often do you do this? And even if you do, how often do you browse on your desktop and use your mobile to make a transaction? Most of the time I copy paste addresses on my desktop into my desktop wallet.
I don't think we'll get a new feature that barely anyone uses.

[Charles-Tim]

Not necessary.

Encouraging address reuse and lesser privacy.

It is easy to open your wallet, input the password, use another address or address QR code. Check and double check to make sure that there is nothing like clipboard malware. Checking and rechecking the address and making sure it is correct is enough to detect clipboard malware.

Avoid malware and perfectly secure your wallet.

If using cold storage, there can be a watch-only version for easy address acccess.

[dkbit98]

For QR codes, it will be error free as long as user has entered the wrong address.

QR codes are not error free, and it could make people lazy to blindly trust some image instead of checking and visually confirming address.
I don't think adding QR codes is a bad idea, but I already saw people are using QR codes for scamming so I would be very careful adding this functionality to bitcointalk forum.
I understand QR codes can be useful, but I don't understand or approve that now we need to use QR codes everywhere and in all areas of our lives.

How often do you do this? And even if you do, how often do you browse on your desktop and use your mobile to make a transaction? Most of the time I copy paste addresses on my desktop into my desktop wallet.

Almost never, or I can't remember last time I did it.
This could be usable if most of the users are browsing bitcointalk with some moblie app, but I think that majority of users are using mostly desktop computer.

[Flexystar]

Okay. May be in the future when it becomes more prominent to use only bitcoin as way of transacting everywhere. :-D

Just for heads up, I was talking about the address linked on the profile. So whenever I copy paste a new address in that field it shall create new QR and update the same on my profile. However, since we will have PGP key QR it can not be updated or signed with new address as long as new address really belongs to us!

But anyways it seems there are only couple of advantages and lot of disadvantages in implementing such QR integration. May be we can only update a public address which is apart from our cold storage wallets. Endless possibilities but I think it will take time for perfect executions.

[BitcoinGirl.Club]

This could be good idea or stupid idea but what would it be like if we use the space on the profile to display the QR code for the address which has been entered into the BTC Address field?

I don't think it's a good idea nor a bad idea, it's just an idea which will not have any real use at all. Considering the importance of it over other ideas that we have already talked for over the years which looks more important, your idea is not going to get any interest. In my entire life I do not think I ever scanned a qr code for btc to pay.

May be we can only update a public address which is apart from our cold storage wallets. Endless possibilities but I think it will take time for perfect executions.

Why do you even need to use any address apart from the address you staked to prove ownership?

[OgNasty]

This can help us send the bitcoins quickly to any user we want.

How often do you do this? And even if you do, how often do you browse on your desktop and use your mobile to make a transaction? Most of the time I copy paste addresses on my desktop into my desktop wallet.
I don't think we'll get a new feature that barely anyone uses.

When faced with how to handle this sort of issue, NastyFans decided to take an all-of-the-above type approach to handling it.  The QR code is displayed for users that want to send a transaction with their mobile, and the payment address is provided for those who want to double check it or copy paste.  Additionally, the QR code is also clickable, and if the user decides to click it, it opens their Bitcoin wallet and populates the transaction data with the correct information.  I think that 3 step approach pretty much covers most everyone.

Also, sending each other BTC was a very common practice here when the community was populated with Bitcoin users instead of forum professionals.  

[hugeblack]

Its location in the avatar is not useful, but when you visit the user's page^[1], and instead of "ICQ, AIM, MSN, YIM," you get a qr of your bitcoin address or a PGP key.
Will it be implemented? In view of the previous suggestions, @theymos will not implement them.
Therefore, if you really want it, write the code, make others vote on it, and then force @theymos to add it, as the forum is community-driven in decision-making.

[1] https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1059082;

[Pmalek]

I have nothing against the idea per se, but I don't think it will become popular to a point where the admins will consider adding it.
I don't even pay attention to the addresses people post in their profiles. If I need to send someone some bitcoin or give someone a tip or a donation, I will first ask for a receiving address and then ask again to confirm it, no matter what their profile displays. Copying and verifying an address is not difficult on a phone or on a desktop device. 

[drwhobox]

The idea is good, but how many times have you sent a bitcoin to a user by taking the wallet address from their profile? At least in my case I didn't do it yet or I don't think I need to do that in the near future. In most cases only campaign managers need the wallet address to send bitcoin but they also don't take the address from the profile.

This only serves as an extra feature but not the most useful one at least not for everyone on this forum.

[Pmalek]

<Snip>

Additionally, you can't use it to prove account ownership the way you do with a signed message that gets quoted by other forum members. The QR code, address or PGP key in your profile can not be quoted by someone else. It could be cached or achieved, and in case of changes people would have to check old achieves to see what was there before. 

[AverageGlabella]

Never liked QR codes because it encourages you to not check the address that you are sending too. I bet there are some horror stories of using qr codes and it does look like the world is relying on them too much for everything in my opinion. A good invention for certain things but I do not think financial transactions should be using qr codes. I would not send money to someones profile address without getting them to confirm that it is correct anyway. I guess there is a niche use for this but I think the majority of members would not use this and it would be a waste of resources to add.

[Pmalek]

Never liked QR codes because it encourages you to not check the address that you are sending too. I bet there are some horror stories of using qr codes and it does look like the world is relying on them too much for everything in my opinion.

Every time you lose your focus and attention, you increase the likelihood that something might go wrong or that you will commit an irreversible mistake.

I guess it depends on what kind of horror stories you had in mind.
First of all, you can't send bitcoin to a non-existing address. That would be rejected by the network. I am not sure if something like that is possible on a protocol level even with faulty wallets. But, you can send BTC to the wrong address, lose your money, and don't get what you paid for. Other dangers with QR codes is that hackers replace them with their own addresses. This also depends on the location of said codes. I haven't done any research, but I have never read or come across a case where a person scanned a QR code and ended up sending coins to the wrong address (one that has got nothing to do with the one they scanned). 

[Flexystar]

Its location in the avatar is not useful, but when you visit the user's page^[1], and instead of "ICQ, AIM, MSN, YIM," you get a qr of your bitcoin address or a PGP key.
Will it be implemented? In view of the previous suggestions, @theymos will not implement them.
Therefore, if you really want it, write the code, make others vote on it, and then force @theymos to add it, as the forum is community-driven in decision-making.

[1] https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?action=profile;u=1059082;

I should do this but as I am going through the thread it seems the balance is tipping towards negative scale a lot. I dont know, there are some good points that its useless ideas since no one really cares about the QR codes. Or simply how many of them might be using it to scan and pay the users.

The idea really came to mind after seeing that our devices are capable of "reading" the QR codes right from the screen. This means you do not even need your phone camera to see the QR, because it just gets read by the screen itself.

The technologies developing with lightening speed. May be soon it would be available for the desktop/laptops where, once we are on users profile it will read out the QR and ask whether we are interested in sending the funds. User can simply proceed or not proceed as per the intention of visiting the profile.


For instance this project:

Code:

https://github.com/mebjas/html5-qrcode#easy-mode---with-end-to-end-scanner-user-interface

Supports two kinds of APIs

Html5QrcodeScanner — End-to-end scanner with UI, integrate with less than ten lines of code.

Html5Qrcode — Powerful set of APIs you can use to build your UI without worrying about camera setup, handling permissions, reading codes, etc.

Support for scanning local files on the device is a new addition and helpful for the web browser which does not support inline web-camera access in smartphones. Note: This doesn't upload files to any server — everything is done locally.

For example, working on the same example as I have mentioned in the OP (@theymos address). Lets say we hit the profile of theymos and it read out the QR and shows below result.
Obviously below is just example, without proper UI, not meant for such application but it could be something like that.




May be there is time for such tool integration.