Old school handshake still beats a QR code for me

I went to a Scottsdale meetup last Thursday where everyone was just scanning each other's phones. Spent 10 minutes getting someone's contact info through some app that kept glitching. Compared to 5 years ago when I'd just hand someone my card and get theirs in 2 seconds flat. Has anyone else noticed these tech shortcuts actually slow things down more than they help?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimreed19d ago

Stopped dead at "glitching." I had the same thing happen at a networking thing in Phoenix last month. This one guy kept tapping his phone on mine like it was some kind of magic trick. Nothing happened for a solid 30 seconds. I just stood there holding my business card out like a fossil. Eventually he gave up and took the card anyway. Felt like watching someone try to start a 1998 lawnmower when you could just flip a switch.

evan_campbell19d agoMost Upvoted

And the worst part is how long you have to stand there pretending it's going to work. Like you're both committed to this awkward bit where you're holding your phone out like an offering and they're frantically tapping away. I've started just moving on after about 10 seconds. If it doesn't connect by then it's not going to. And honestly half the time people just want to look busy and tech-savvy instead of just being normal. Paper cards are still faster than fumbling through three menus and waiting for the universe to align.

evan_campbell14d agoMost Upvoted

Nah the whole point is not having to carry around a stack of dead trees.