Saturday, March 26, 2011

QR Codes on Gravestones?

I can't decide if a Japanese gravestone maker's plans to put QR Codes on headstones is creepy or creative.

Mourners or other visitors to the deceased person's grave could simply scan the QR code to see pictures, videos, and other information about the person. And each QR code scan would be recorded, so families will know who has been visiting.

On the one hand, this could be really nice. You get to see some highlights from the person's life, relive old memories, and appreciate the life that person led. On the other hand, a totally random stranger could scan that gravestone QR code and see a lot of person information about a person they never knew.

What do you think? Would you want a QR code on your headstone? Is this creepy or great?

3 comments:

Professor Pallavi Kumar said...

It's creepy and great. As someone, who regularly reads the obituaries but doesn't stroll through cemeteries too often, I can see the appeal of this and from a historical perspective it is rather helpful. And obviously, one would only have a QR code by choice so it's not necessarily a privacy issue. i am more supportive of this than not - after all if it was a life worth living than shouldn't more people be able to find out about that life?

delphine said...

Agree that from a historical perspective could prove very useful. See it as a personal choice too as specified through a will or other directive (or maybe there would be such a thing as “unauthorized” bios as is the case with books). Imagine that eventually there will be standards (perhaps even laws) regarding this and other issues such as permanence of codes, i.e., will the codes be embedded in stone, making removal and replacement difficult?

Paige H said...

I agree with the creepy bit but I am also worried about the legs on QR codes. In the future whenever someone's grandchildren will be visiting their grave, will the technology still be present and still around. Otherwise like Delphine has said, the engraving on the stone will be obsolete and therefore make it look a little silly in my opinion. It is also scary to think about technology reaching the final resting place.