[wp-meta] [Making WordPress.org] #4162: CampTix QR Code Feature

[Making WordPress.org]

#4162: CampTix QR Code Feature
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 Reporter:  usmankhalid              |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement              |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal                   |   Milestone:
Component:  WordCamp Site & Plugins  |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                           |
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Comment (by dd32):

 A few weeks back at WordCamp Brisbane, I ran a test of this using a QR
 code checkin based on the WordCamp attendance UI.

 We ultimately used "FirstName LastName" as the QR code contents, for
 several reasons:
  - The existing UI searches by name, and as it supports exact-matching
 name searches it worked well
  - The QR code isn't being shown publicly, it's only in an email with the
 attendee name, so we didn't consider having the name in the QR code a
 privacy issue
  - Embedding the QR code into Camptix Notify functions could be done
 without any modifications there (We used Google QR code as an `<img>`
 element)

 The feedback from those using the feature on the day was positive,
 although as we didn't really test it in advance as I mostly cobbled it
 together in an hour two days before the event, so there were a few
 issues..
 The Instascan QR Code library used
  1. Only supported modern devices - HTML5 Camera required, most libraries
 are the same
  2. Camera feed froze up on apple mobile devices - Unsure why, it worked a
 few months ago
  3. Had issues with scanning "complex" QR codes unless it had a super-
 clear and well aligned image
  4. Gracefully degraded if the device didn't support it - A positive!

 The QR Codes containing `First Last` worked well, but had two major
 drawbacks and several negatives
  1. If you bought multiple tickets, that was multiple QR codes (ie. `John
 Smith` brought along his family, that's 4 QR codes to scan even though it
 was one purchase). In those cases it was easier to manually search `Smith`
 and select each manually
  2. The longer the name, the more complex the QR code is, and the less
 easy it was for the QR scanner to read without a clear image
  3. The QR image was emailed out at the bottom of the day-before "What you
 need to know for tomorrow" email - it should've been placed first
  4. The Error correction was turned to 'High' allowing for 30% dataloss as
 it made the scans during testing quicker. As a result though, for the
 longer-name attendees it also required the more 'complex' QR codes for
 some that were harder to scan

 As a result, here's my personal take on it:
  * Yes, it was a success - but required more testing
  * One of the first feedback fixes added was "If QR scan results in a
 single attendee, open the checkin dialogue immediately" and worked well
 thereafter
  * The QR Code needs to be at the top of the "WordCamp is tomorrow" email,
 otherwise it's too hard to find at checkin time
  * Should've been 1 QR per order. Using an order token here makes sense
 rather than their name
  * Google QR Code embeds worked well - But
 [https://developers.google.com/chart/infographics/docs/qr_codes is
 potentially deprecated] even though the deprecation policy appears to have
 been invalidated
  * Using a [https://developers.google.com/chart/infographics/docs/qr_codes
 #qr-code-details-optional-reading 16 character alphanumeric token with 25%
 dataloss (Q)] seems to be a good middle-ground for the contents of the QR
 code
  * Using the 2nd half of the attendee's `access_token` as the QR code
 contents would be back-compat with previously bought tickets, and would
 fit the above QR option


 Based on the above, I have a
 [https://github.com/WordPress/wordcamp.org/compare/production...dd32:feature
 /attendance-qr Github Branch] which I've implemented most of the above in.
  * Switched to using a [https://nimiq.github.io/qr-scanner/ more recently
 updated scanner] in the hopes of getting Apple mobile support back (I
 haven't yet tested that)
  * Cleaned up the code I used on the day
  * Switched to using the 2nd half of the `access_token` as the QR code -
 That should be secure enough in this case
  * Added a global "Enable QR scanning?" camptix attendance option, rather
 than the per-phone client-side setting we used (that wasn't needed)
 Still needed:
  * Adding a `[qr]` shortcode to Camptix Notify - Initially could just wrap
 the above mentioned Google Charts, but ideally encoding it into a `data:`
 uri image for offline viewing would be best
  * Adding the QR Code Contents to the Export functionality, to allow it to
 be integrated with 3rd-party checkin systems (I guess?)
  * Verifying it works with Apple mobile devices

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Ticket URL: <https://meta.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/4162#comment:6>
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