Cooperation: Offline QR Code Generator Firefox add-on

[rugk]

I am the dev of a Firefox add-on for generating QR codes and I really like your QR code scanner/generator, because:

1. It is, as my add-on, offline. (Okay, maybe that's still quite common in Android apps. I can assure you, in add-ons/websites, it is not.)
2. (As part of 1.) it does not send tracking data and is FLOSS.
3. It has a really nice icon UI and icon, in contrast to these other barcode generator apps.
4. It works with inverted QR codes and can do useful things with the things it has scanned.

Now what?

So, however, when generating and scanning a QR code, you always need two parts: the reader and scanner. On two devices.

I mostly consider this use case: transmit some (potentially private) data from your desktop to your phone.

That's why I'd want to ask, whether we could maybe some kind of "cooperation" to suggest that we can link to each other's app/recommend it, as both things have quite common goals, IMHO. (more on that below)

What to do?

The exact details can be discussed, but I have a system to show a "random tip" to the add-on user in rare circumstances (non-annoying!). There I already have other tips included, but may also add a recommendation for your app.

Why?

Because, IMHO, the users of our software(s) will only benefit.

• It helps no one, if you have a private QR code generator, but the QR code scanner sends the data everywhere. (and vice versa)
  So recommending a good app/add-on for the "other" part to the user, helps to increase the overall ("end-to-end") security.
• IMHO, we both put effort into making the UI as simple as possible.
• From my perspective: This app solves many problems (inverted QR codes) that OfflineQr users may get in trouble with. (Warning for inverted QR codes (when background color is dark and foreground light) rugk/offline-qr-code#20)
• My add-on can also be used on Android, but I think the performance and quality of a native app cannot be matched.
• Personally, I see your QR code generator app as the best FLOSS app, I've used. (see list at the top of this issue)

That said (potential problems):

• Obviously, the use cases overlap, so we are "competitors", because a) my add-on works on Android and b) your app can be used to generate QR codes, too. However, as you see above, I'd still use (and I personally do use) your app on Android. Also, we're FLOSS, so it's not that we would gain anything, if people did not use the app or the add-on.
• Problem: The platforms of our pieces of software really do not match. Obviously, this is problematic, because we cannot know whether our users use Android or Firefox.
  IMHO, this is, however, a trade-off we can accept, because it's the nature of QR codes that you want to transmit data between different platforms, devices, browsers etc.

Also, I am indeed calling for an unobtrusive way and not for big banners or so.

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I am deliberately requesting this in an issue tracker publicly here, to discuss this transparently, because this is as FLOSS projects should do it. That's my opinion, at least. 😃

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Let me know what you think. 😃

[wewewe718]

Hello. I can add a button to 'About' section in Settings that will lead to the page of your add-on on the Firefox Add-on website. Please let me know if it will be fine with you.

[rugk]

I'm very sorry cor the late reply, did keep it in my inbox here, but apparently forget it. Yeah, that sounds good… 🙂

I would ask you to use this link: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/offline-qr-code-generator/?utm_source=app-com.example.barcodescanner&utm_medium=app-android&utm_content=about&&utm_campaign=partner-software
What would you use as a text there?

As for me, here you can see the settings for all my random tips shown in the add-on including the JsDoc documentation for the following properties. So I would probably like to use a configuration similar to this one (I describe my reasoning in comments):

    {
        id: "partnerAppAndroidBarcodescanner",
        requiredShowCount: 4,
        requireDismiss: 1, // the user needs to actively dismiss the message at least one time, so unless that is done it may be suggested randomly in-definitively
        maximumDismiss: 1, // or maybe "2", but I fear this could annoy users and be regarded as an add, I'm not sure…
        requiredTriggers: 15, // slightly later, however, of course only power-users will want to install/have an Android app suggested, so IMHO this is fine. Also you get to this very fast :)
        randomizeDisplay: 0.8, // slightly less often show it to not 
        text: "tipPartnerAppAndroidBarcodescanner",
        actionButton: {
            text: "tipTryThisOne",
            action: "tipPartnerAppAndroidBarcodescannerLink"
        },
        showTip: async () => {
            // if user is on Android, show it more likely as that may of course be especially for them
            if ((await isMobile())) {
                tipSpec.randomizeDisplay = false;
            }

            return null; // continue as normal
        }
    },

The text could be something like:

Need a QR code scanner for Android? [Try this one]

(Due to size constraints, it needs to be kept short for me 🙂 )

So, as for your link, which one should I choose?