Amazing Language
Research – The Dreaded Foe
Committing to research, whether it be academic research or research in other areas, is no joke. It takes time, requires considerable effort and let's face it, it can be rather boring at times.
This being so, we do, however, ‘do’ research a lot more often than we think. For example, when you want a new cellphone, what do you do? You research different prices, features and plans. When you want a new car, what do you do? You'll research colours, specifications, fuel consumption and finance options. When you want to go on holiday, what do you do? Research.
Why can't language editors edit their own work?
The answer to this one is simple: we are human and we make mistakes. 
We are less likely to pick up mistakes in our own writing than in other people’s writing. An author's work becomes part of the author. I guess you could say that the biggest problem is over-familiarity with the work. This is particularly so in academic writing where many revisions of the work take place.
The same goes for anyone that thinks they will ‘get away with’ editing their own work. This just doesn't work at all! An outsider or third party is the better choice and is able to find mistakes and give constructive criticism far more easily than you can in your own work. We all think our language use is great and that we have very few flaws in our writing and speaking, but the truth is, no one is perfect. 
The Strange World of QR Codes
A QR code is a code that is made up of black squares arranged on a white background in a certain order. This arrangement of squares is surrounded by a white border to ensure the code is read correctly and that it is isolated from the surrounding text and images. In essence it is a two-dimensional barcode that can be scanned by various devices such as mobile phones (specifically 'smart' phones).
These codes are used to convey information such as URLs, contact details, links to websites and so on. This information is embedded in the code. QR codes can be read by any smart phones that have barcode or code readers installed. All you have to do is take a picture of the code with your phone and you will be sent or directed to the information that is embedded in the code.
These little codes are fascinating things! There is so much information that can be conveyed in any one single code. 