A new feature has been implemented in Vernissage - business card sharing.
Many times while taking photos on the street, I encountered situations where the people I photographed wanted me to send them the results of our (sometimes collaborative) work. Most of the time, these were complete strangers I had just met. They often asked for my Instagram or Facebook profile. However, I had already deleted both accounts years ago (with the exception of Messenger, which I still use for university-related communication). In those situations, I lacked a satisfying way to stay in touch. Creating a new social media account was not an option, and sharing my email address - or worse, my phone number - was usually out of the question.
These experiences led directly to the development of our new feature: „Shared business cards”. This feature allows every Vernissage user (provided it is enabled by the administrators of their instance) to create their own business card. Because we give users greater control over who can access the information on a card, it’s possible to include more sensitive details, such as a personal website link, business email, address, or even a phone number.
Who can see the information on your business card?
Initially, no one but you. To make your card accessible, you must explicitly share it. During the sharing process, you will be asked to provide at least a title for the card, allowing you to easily identify the purpose of the share later. Optionally, you can also add a description for even more clarity.
After entering these two pieces of information, you are taken directly to a dedicated sharing page. A QR code is automatically generated, which you can present to the person you wish to share your card with.
When they scan the QR code, they are redirected to a page displaying your business card. They will be prompted to enter their name (or a nickname) and may optionally provide their email address. If they supply an email address, a link to your shared card will be sent to them. If they prefer not to share their email, they can simply click the “Import contact” button, which downloads a VCF file containing your business card details, including a link to the card, allowing them to return to it later, even if they close their browser. On most smartphones, the file is automatically recognized and opened by the native contacts app, displaying the information from the card and prompting the user to save the contact to their phone. Once the photos have been delivered or the conversation is complete, the user can safely delete the contact if they no longer need it.
Why would someone need to return to the shared card later?
Each shared card includes a simple chat function that enables further communication. Once you have edited the photos at home, you can leave a message with a link to the final pictures, express your thanks, or continue the conversation.
Neither you nor the person you are communicating with needs an additional account on any external platform.
Every shared business card has a unique URL consisting of 64 random characters, making it extremely difficult to guess. You have full control over your shares: You can disable any individual shared card at any time, immediately cutting off access, or you can permanently delete a share to keep your list organized.
While this feature might seem like a small addition, it can be incredibly useful - especially for street photographers.
In the future, if this functionality gains popularity, we plan to introduce additional improvements, such as notifications about new messages on shared business cards and/or push notifications, ensuring that nothing important is missed.
See you on the streets, cameras in hand!
— Marcin Czachurski