The internets exploarers is serious business.

[toxico.livejournal.com]

This from a luser this morn:

Normally, when I post rent I would hit Ctrl-T-" to save the data I entered. Now with the upgrades with the Tabs Ctrl-T-" gives me a blank page. I now have to use the mouse and cursor to save the info. Is there another keyboard function I can use to save the posted data? Having to use the mouse isn't very efficient.

Wow, how dare you be inconvenienced by having to use a fucking MOUSE. That's kind of like saying, "Can I get those seashells from Demolition Man? Wiping my ass with toilet paper is too much of a hassle since we put in those new toilet paper holders. Now every time I pull on the paper it automatically rips it off after a few sheets."

(Actual response, because someone will suggest it in an attempt to look smug: Disable tabbed browsing in IE7 as a workaround until an update is released that remaps the shortcut to compensate. Additionally, beat any offending TP dispenser with a large, sturdy, blunt object.)

Comments

[licon.livejournal.com]

It seems like a reasonable request to me. They're asking if there's a new shortcut now the old one has been overwritten. (Keyboard shortcuts *are* more efficient most of the time.)

[toxico.livejournal.com]

And yet, there hasn't been an update. A major change in functionality like that would be prefaced by an email saying HAY GET OUT OF UR OLD HABITS.

But really... having to use the mouse "isn't very efficient?" I invite them to unplug it and stuff it in a drawer for the span of one business day and see how well they get on. Without this statement, I might agree that it's a reasonable request; however, the inclusion of this makes it seem like we're wasting their precious time. Just bloody ask if there's a shortcut; don't try to justify it and make yourself sound like a turd in the process.

[ravan.livejournal.com]

however, the inclusion of this makes it seem like we're wasting their precious time.

It is a fucking waste of time. Mice are a horrible UI and time sink. It does waste my precious time and ergonomic strain to use a block of plastic for every god damn little thing. It is horribly inefficient.

I would go insane without keyboard shortcuts. And before you go off acting like I'm some sort of idiot newb, I've been using computers since the late 70's. The first time I used a fucking mouse for just an hour (pre-windows), I unplugged it and threw it across the room. Using it hurt my tendonitis so much. A trackball is only marginally better.

[toxico.livejournal.com]

HOLY SHIT DUDE WE GET IT ALREADY.

[anamacha.livejournal.com]

lol

[hisamishness.livejournal.com]

My answer would be to uninstall IE7.... but that's just me.

Hmmm... Ctrl-T get a new tab in Firefox too..

Tough Shit mr luser

[toxico.livejournal.com]

Personaly, I agree; speaking from a business standpoint, it's unfortunately not feasible.

At least in this case they can work around it in IE; FF doesn't seem to have a way to disable tabs.

And since uninstalling IE7 just reverts back to IE6, it's waaaaay too much trouble and the proverbial Pandora's Browser Box.

[anamacha.livejournal.com]

you can disable tabs in about:config ... can't say how, because I can't imagine wanting to do such a thing.

[torkell]

Doesn't seem unreasonable to me. It's nicely worded and they're asking a reasonable question. I know I daily curse the sites which think it's "smart" to capture Alt+D (in IE6 at least, Alt+D gives the address bar focus).

Oh, and if you want smug responses, *deep breath* "Ctrl+A Ctrl+C Ctrl+Esc R notepad ENTER Ctrl+V Alt+F S C:\Data\foo.txt ENTER Alt+F4"

[toxico.livejournal.com]

[jecook]

::awards you 25 gold coins and a Lesser Potion of Intelligence::

[toxico.livejournal.com]

"Your Intellect has increased by 6."

Sweet, new max mana high!

[azzy23.livejournal.com]

God damn I loves ya.

[torkell]

Fair enough, I deserved that. And that graph's annoying accurate, if the amount of time I spent cursing Java yesterday evening is anything to go by.

Any objections to swiping the image?

[toxico.livejournal.com]

Seeing as I swiped it to begin with, none at all.

[ravan.livejournal.com]

Actually, using a fucking mouse is damned inconvenient, just to enter data, save, post, or whatnot. You shouldn't have to take your hands from the keyboard, fumble for a lump of plastic, and click on a stupid button just to commit or save your work. It slows you down, distracts you, and is stupid to have to always be reaching for the stupidf thing.

High speed typists, data entry people, and command line junkies hate mice. Keyboard shortcuts are the way to go. Why should I have to take my hand away from the keyboard, move and click several times, just to complete a simple operation??

[toxico.livejournal.com]

And since this isn't all about you and the person asking is none of those things you mention I'll tell you that you shouldn't.

[ravan.livejournal.com]

So ordinary users should be less efficient? Bzzt!

BTW, I use personal examples and "I" statements so I'm not putting words in other's mouths. It doesn't mean it's "all about me", only that I can relate to what your user appears to be talking about, whereas you apparently can't.

Not all users, specialists or otherwise, are enamoured of the pointy-clicky requirement for every little operation that the Windows opersting system is moving toward.

[toxico.livejournal.com]

Share your feelings with the group. Somebody needs a hug!

Seriously, for the most part I agree with the core idea of your statements that yes a shortcut should be present. Is there one? Yes, but it got stomped on. Is there another one? No; we would have told them.

Not only can I relate, I can adapt when all else fails or is broken. I mean, I play World of Warcraft and use Windows. I kind of have to.

To be fair, I did fail to state that this was the second email after receiving the same response from another tech here.

[bassgirl.livejournal.com]

In the case of the user in this story, the reason is because they're using IE7. I think it's pretty clear what your feelings about mouses are, but it's a little unreasonable to assume that there will obviously always be keyboard shortcuts released for everything that work, just because the mouse is bad design. Windows is kind of built first and foremost for use by users with a mouse, plus added on are keyboard shortcuts that I try to use as much as possible, too. Sadly for me, a third of the software at my company has keyboard shortcuts disabled, and another third is built specifically so all of the menus can ONLY be accessed by right clicking on the mouse. Good design? Not really! Can I do something about it? Not a chance.


This reminds me of the work request we had filed reciently that requested the two desktop stations (running on 2 different networks, as my company provides third party support so we have to run both systems, on separate networks and separate computers) be put on a KVM switch, but for the keyboard and mouse, because the lead "had 2 monitors at home, so he didn't like having these work conditions". Ok... while that might in theory seem reasonable to one person, we have 30 lead stations. He is not special enough to get that done JUST FOR HIM, and we sure as hell arn't doing it for everyone.


Ordinary users are regularly forced to be less efficient. It's part of being a tiny cog in a big wheel in a really big machine.

Come to think of it... that's what inspires most of the posts in this comm, too.

[echan.livejournal.com]

Wait a second.

Tech support, a place full of geeks, is -complaining- when someone -wants- to use keyboard shortcuts?

[dreamatdrew]

Ya know, this was my inital thought...

[toxico.livejournal.com]

Wrong, on multiple levels.

There's no complaint. You see a complaint, you're reading incorrectly (when I actually complain there will be far more profanity involved). If simply laying out my thought process evokes the above as your opinion, that's fine; for the most part I agree that keyboard > mouse, especially since I do most of my work on a laptop with a touchpad at the moment.

The user doesn't simply want to use a keyboard shortcut; they want the old one back and have submitted multiple requests as such, including telling us that we need to tell Microsoft "to let" us. A busy weekend and sheer bumbling kept me from relaying this information, an error for which I take responsibility.

[kallell.livejournal.com]

extra points for finding a way to invole the 3 seashells

and i once had a mouse die and went on for three hours (a good protion playing EQ) w/o a mouse. I joust coundt figure out how to loot (and i tried /loot, it wasnt working)

[vertelemming.livejournal.com]

It really depends on the program, but in my experience, when using a program with a well-designed keyboard interface and an equally well-designed mouse inferface, using all-keyboard interaction will get you around and do what you want at least five times faster than using the mouse interface, and at least twice as fast as using keyboard and mouse. I'm hardly an example of an average user, true, but automatically assuming a mouse is a technological advancement over the keyboard is a bit...

Ah, screw it. From looking at the other comments, no matter what I say, you'll either subtly or overtly insult me, and possibly take me on a visit to the land of Passive Aggressiva, so I'm not going to sugar-coat it. It's fucking ludicrous, is what it is. The user made a perfectly reasonable request to see if there was a way to get around the upgrade breaking functionality that they've used for god knows how long. For this, you see fit to ridicule them. If they had demanded you fix it now now NOW zomgz, then bitching about that would have been perfectly justified. What you did... was not.

[toxico.livejournal.com]

I've never seen several individuals so intent on dictating what one person is justified in finding a humorous request.

Opinion disregarded, sans sugar.