Backspace acting as browser Back button becoming a big problem

[jeeber]

Whichever side of this issue you're on, hating or loving the backspace
as browser back button, it's starting to become a real nuisance.

Not just because I accidentally don't have a text box in focus when I
hit backspace, but BECAUSE I have a text type object in focus and the
browser goes back. The web is becoming pretty sophisticated, with
flash and javascript interactivity all over the place, and the browser
isn't always smart enough to know that you're typing in text. I'm
having that problem logging into my earthlink web mail and even playing
websudoku - and if you refresh your websudoku, you lose your whole
game.

I've even had problems using Windows Explorer, trying to delete files
with backspace, and it navigates back a folder.

In a perfect world, I guess all programmers would diligently capture
the backspace key, but I don't think that's ever going to happen.

How hard can it possibly be to make that option configurable, anyway?
Sheesh!

jeeber

Next, we can work on that annoying problem of autoselecting the entire
text of the address box on the first click . . . that's what double
click is for!! =)

 

[Daniel Crichton]

jeeber wrote on 9 Feb 2006 21:48:17 -0800:

Whichever side of this issue you're on, hating or loving the backspace
as browser back button, it's starting to become a real nuisance.

Not just because I accidentally don't have a text box in focus when I
hit backspace, but BECAUSE I have a text type object in focus and the
browser goes back. The web is becoming pretty sophisticated, with
flash and javascript interactivity all over the place, and the browser
isn't always smart enough to know that you're typing in text. I'm
having that problem logging into my earthlink web mail and even playing
websudoku - and if you refresh your websudoku, you lose your whole
game.

Try using the Del key and positioning the cursor before the letter(s) you
wish to change. Not an ideal solution though.

Even more annoying that the backspace navigation is the one I found today -
a site that requires you to push the Go button on the form instead of just
pressing Enter after having typed a string into the search box. It pops up a
dialog saying "Do not press Enter, press the Go button". Argh!!!

I've even had problems using Windows Explorer, trying to delete files
with backspace, and it navigates back a folder.

I've never used backspace to delete files, just to edit filenames - use the
Del key to delete a file.

Dan