Pony request: Ctrl/Command-K for new hyperlnks March 20, 2016 7:45 AM Subscribe
A lot of websites and text editors use Ctrl/Command-K to insert a hyperlink around a highlighted selection of text. It'd be great to have a similar shortcut on Metafilter to speed up post creation!
Could ctrl-U insert the link without the dialog if there is an url on the clipboard?
posted by plinth at 7:55 AM on March 20, 2016
posted by plinth at 7:55 AM on March 20, 2016
No, we don't get access to your clipboard.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:06 AM on March 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by pb (staff) at 8:06 AM on March 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
Ctrl/Command-U
Oh, thank god (also pb). I keep automatically hitting Command-L (which jumps to the browser Location field of course) thanks to some far-off muscle memory of an HTML program in the paleolithic era.
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:10 AM on March 20, 2016
Oh, thank god (also pb). I keep automatically hitting Command-L (which jumps to the browser Location field of course) thanks to some far-off muscle memory of an HTML program in the paleolithic era.
posted by Celsius1414 at 8:10 AM on March 20, 2016
Aha, I didn't realise that Ctrl-U would do it! And it's even so close to 'K' on the keyboard...
posted by adrianhon at 8:33 AM on March 20, 2016
posted by adrianhon at 8:33 AM on March 20, 2016
I knew this!! I wondered the same thing ages ago and asked via the contact form and got a reply in like 38 seconds! Easy to remember as it's U for URL!
posted by marienbad at 8:42 AM on March 20, 2016
posted by marienbad at 8:42 AM on March 20, 2016
So basically Firefox is the culprit here, as most other tools or anyway the ones I use all use Crtl-K for hyperlinks.
If the Crtl-U decision is predicated on following user expectations it may be worthwhile to consider how many users use Crtl-K for hyperlinks everywhere else versus those who use Crtl-K to jump to the search box.
A place to start might be Chrome vs Firefox stats.
(Anecdata: When I go to leave a link, I wind up in the search box about a third of the time: "Ahh, dangit. This is the Ctrl-U place.")
OTOH. It's not really an actual problem with appreciable cost to users, and I'm sure lots of other users like things as they are, and so there probably isn't a significant reason to change, especially in consideration of the resources that might be required to do it. Unless people want to, after all. That's fine, too.
posted by notyou at 9:35 AM on March 20, 2016
If the Crtl-U decision is predicated on following user expectations it may be worthwhile to consider how many users use Crtl-K for hyperlinks everywhere else versus those who use Crtl-K to jump to the search box.
A place to start might be Chrome vs Firefox stats.
(Anecdata: When I go to leave a link, I wind up in the search box about a third of the time: "Ahh, dangit. This is the Ctrl-U place.")
OTOH. It's not really an actual problem with appreciable cost to users, and I'm sure lots of other users like things as they are, and so there probably isn't a significant reason to change, especially in consideration of the resources that might be required to do it. Unless people want to, after all. That's fine, too.
posted by notyou at 9:35 AM on March 20, 2016
A place to start might be Chrome vs Firefox stats.
Please don't mess up my user experience because other people use a different browser. Thanks!
posted by grouse at 11:13 AM on March 20, 2016 [6 favorites]
Please don't mess up my user experience because other people use a different browser. Thanks!
posted by grouse at 11:13 AM on March 20, 2016 [6 favorites]
Please don't mess up my user experience because other people use a different browser.
I would be interested in Chrome vs. Firefox stats for desktop just because (and I use Firefox and people always act like I told them I use OPERA or something), but I feel like there would have to be a pretty strong reason for changing a longtime shortcut.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 1:16 PM on March 20, 2016 [4 favorites]
I would be interested in Chrome vs. Firefox stats for desktop just because (and I use Firefox and people always act like I told them I use OPERA or something), but I feel like there would have to be a pretty strong reason for changing a longtime shortcut.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 1:16 PM on March 20, 2016 [4 favorites]
Is it really between those two nowadays? I use neither Firefox nor Chrome, and I feel that many people around me use alternative browsers too; but perhaps I run in atypical circles.
(*runs in an ellipse*)
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:43 PM on March 20, 2016
(*runs in an ellipse*)
posted by Too-Ticky at 1:43 PM on March 20, 2016
Is it really between those two nowadays? I use neither Firefox nor Chrome, and I feel that many people around me use alternative browsers too; but perhaps I run in atypical circles.
Usage Share of Web Browsers.
TL;DR - Chrome is 40-50%, IE is still 10-25%, Firefox is about 10%, Safari 15%, Opera 5%, all else a couple %.
posted by Justinian at 2:44 PM on March 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Usage Share of Web Browsers.
TL;DR - Chrome is 40-50%, IE is still 10-25%, Firefox is about 10%, Safari 15%, Opera 5%, all else a couple %.
posted by Justinian at 2:44 PM on March 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Though if you're only talking about DESKTOP browsers, IE is still around 50% of it. Gah who are these people. Do they still use AOL?
posted by Justinian at 2:45 PM on March 20, 2016
posted by Justinian at 2:45 PM on March 20, 2016
They are people who use their computers from work (and may have no choice) which can be a lot of state government folks AND people who actually don't know enough about computers to install their own browser which is a surprisingly large number of people. Think of it as "They are people who did not change the default settings" You might remember them as the people with the VCR blinking 12:00.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 2:59 PM on March 20, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 2:59 PM on March 20, 2016 [9 favorites]
I'm in healthcare and we, too, are running very old browsers for security reasons.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:29 PM on March 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 3:29 PM on March 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
We want to pick shortcuts that don't interfere with expected browser behavior and that can be a challenge sometimes.
Control-K for "insert link" is pretty much expected browser behaviour these days, since tons of browser-based editors are using it to insert URLs (Google, Microsoft, Wikipedia, Dropbox, ...).
What's really annoying is that if you press Control-K by mistake, it screws up your focus and a subsequent Control-U will open a new tab with the page's source code.
posted by effbot at 3:37 PM on March 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Control-K for "insert link" is pretty much expected browser behaviour these days, since tons of browser-based editors are using it to insert URLs (Google, Microsoft, Wikipedia, Dropbox, ...).
What's really annoying is that if you press Control-K by mistake, it screws up your focus and a subsequent Control-U will open a new tab with the page's source code.
posted by effbot at 3:37 PM on March 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
effbot: "Control-K for "insert link" is pretty much expected browser behaviour these days, since tons of browser-based editors are using it to insert URLs (Google, Microsoft, Wikipedia, Dropbox, ...)."
That's news to me, as a Firefox user. I probably push control-k to get to search several dozen times a day. Another vote for do not change.
posted by barnacles at 3:53 PM on March 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
That's news to me, as a Firefox user. I probably push control-k to get to search several dozen times a day. Another vote for do not change.
posted by barnacles at 3:53 PM on March 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
News to me too (and Ctrl-K would immediately have me stumbling over to C, V, or Y out of ingrained Wordstar habit). Yet another vote for leaving it as is.
posted by Pinback at 4:54 PM on March 20, 2016
posted by Pinback at 4:54 PM on March 20, 2016
WAKE UP SHEEPLE meta filter only wants to ctrl-U
posted by threeants at 4:59 PM on March 20, 2016 [23 favorites]
posted by threeants at 4:59 PM on March 20, 2016 [23 favorites]
> I'm in healthcare and we, too, are running very old browsers for security reasons.
nnngh
You are running very old browsers for lazy/inept/underfunded IT reasons. There are no old secure browsers. Such things do not exist.
I am not angry at you. You are the victim of their decisions, and not the one making those decisions. It's just.... nnngh.
Signed, somebody who has spent many years making things designed to be used by people within companies whose IT departments really wished everybody would go away and do all their business using notecards and ballpoint pens rather than computers.
posted by ardgedee at 5:31 PM on March 20, 2016 [8 favorites]
nnngh
You are running very old browsers for lazy/inept/underfunded IT reasons. There are no old secure browsers. Such things do not exist.
I am not angry at you. You are the victim of their decisions, and not the one making those decisions. It's just.... nnngh.
Signed, somebody who has spent many years making things designed to be used by people within companies whose IT departments really wished everybody would go away and do all their business using notecards and ballpoint pens rather than computers.
posted by ardgedee at 5:31 PM on March 20, 2016 [8 favorites]
I'm in healthcare and we, too, are running very old browsers for security reasons.
Oof. This is approaching "For sale: baby shoes, never worn" in terms of sadness per word.
posted by ethand at 5:53 PM on March 20, 2016 [7 favorites]
Oof. This is approaching "For sale: baby shoes, never worn" in terms of sadness per word.
posted by ethand at 5:53 PM on March 20, 2016 [7 favorites]
(and I use Firefox and people always act like I told them I use OPERA or something)
Hey!
Opera is actually pretty awesome these days, especially now that they do native adblocking with ublock. I've been having way less problems with it than I was having with Firefox on my increasingly old little netbook.
I can also report that Opera Mini will still work on very old android phones and extend them immensely. As in 1.5-1.6 android.
posted by loquacious at 6:50 PM on March 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Hey!
Opera is actually pretty awesome these days, especially now that they do native adblocking with ublock. I've been having way less problems with it than I was having with Firefox on my increasingly old little netbook.
I can also report that Opera Mini will still work on very old android phones and extend them immensely. As in 1.5-1.6 android.
posted by loquacious at 6:50 PM on March 20, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yeah wait, what's wrong with Opera? I've been using Opera for a while and it's just fine. Chrome on OS X kept freezing for me, and Firefox has gotten really slow (plus they changed the way you searched for stuff from the address bar and made it really annoying).
posted by teponaztli at 7:50 PM on March 20, 2016
posted by teponaztli at 7:50 PM on March 20, 2016
I'm not being defensive, I mean I just didn't realize Opera had such a bad reputation.
posted by teponaztli at 7:51 PM on March 20, 2016
posted by teponaztli at 7:51 PM on March 20, 2016
Just for anyone who wants it: List of Mefi keyboard shortcuts
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:22 PM on March 20, 2016 [9 favorites]
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 8:22 PM on March 20, 2016 [9 favorites]
Wow, I had no idea Chrome was so popular. Never seen it.
posted by bongo_x at 11:16 PM on March 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by bongo_x at 11:16 PM on March 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
Though if you're only talking about DESKTOP browsers, IE is still around 50% of it. Gah who are these people. Do they still use AOL?
I browse MeFi on IE when I'm in work, specifically because the browser annoys me. I use Firefox or Chrome for work stuff, and have blocking addons installed to prevent me from absent-mindedly opening up MeFi or a few other sites through sheer muscle memory when my concentration drifts. If I want to come here, I have to make the conscious decision to find and open IE; it's just enough of a speedbump that I notice what I'm doing and can decide not to.
It also helps that, at least on this machine, IE without adblocking is extremely laggy and prone to crashes on a surprising number of sites. MeFi is fine, even in long threads, but browsing elsewhere feels just laborious enough that getting back to my graphs is comparatively relaxing.
posted by metaBugs at 6:09 AM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
I browse MeFi on IE when I'm in work, specifically because the browser annoys me. I use Firefox or Chrome for work stuff, and have blocking addons installed to prevent me from absent-mindedly opening up MeFi or a few other sites through sheer muscle memory when my concentration drifts. If I want to come here, I have to make the conscious decision to find and open IE; it's just enough of a speedbump that I notice what I'm doing and can decide not to.
It also helps that, at least on this machine, IE without adblocking is extremely laggy and prone to crashes on a surprising number of sites. MeFi is fine, even in long threads, but browsing elsewhere feels just laborious enough that getting back to my graphs is comparatively relaxing.
posted by metaBugs at 6:09 AM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm in healthcare and we, too, are running very old browsers for security reasons.
I'm also in healthcare, public healthcare, and we use very old browers for Republicans and neoliberal Democrats, all sucking from the same libertarian, capital-worshiping teat, have refused to adequately or wisely fund healthcare for the last 30+ years reasons.
posted by latkes at 7:07 AM on March 21, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm in healthcare and we, too, are running very old browsers for security reasons
Well I work on browser development, and I'm still using leeches to balance my humours.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 8:15 AM on March 21, 2016 [13 favorites]
Well I work on browser development, and I'm still using leeches to balance my humours.
posted by the quidnunc kid at 8:15 AM on March 21, 2016 [13 favorites]
You can tell if someone is an Opera user the same way you can tell if someone is vegan or got rid of their television. ;)
posted by Celsius1414 at 9:55 AM on March 21, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by Celsius1414 at 9:55 AM on March 21, 2016 [5 favorites]
You are running very old browsers for lazy/inept/underfunded IT reasons. There are no old secure browsers. Such things do not exist.
I am not angry at you. You are the victim of their decisions, and not the one making those decisions. It's just.... nnngh.
LOL, preach. Isn't it partially a domino effect, though? We use a lot of software product that do not update for newer browsers, so we use older browsers, so nobody updates their products for newer browsers, so we use older browsers....
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:14 AM on March 21, 2016
I am not angry at you. You are the victim of their decisions, and not the one making those decisions. It's just.... nnngh.
LOL, preach. Isn't it partially a domino effect, though? We use a lot of software product that do not update for newer browsers, so we use older browsers, so nobody updates their products for newer browsers, so we use older browsers....
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 10:14 AM on March 21, 2016
so nobody updates their products for newer browsers, -> so they deliberately develop for the older browsers, while gnashing their teeth
posted by Going To Maine at 10:31 AM on March 21, 2016
posted by Going To Maine at 10:31 AM on March 21, 2016
You can tell if someone is an Opera user the same way you can tell if someone is vegan or got rid of their television. ;)
Oh?Then maybe I should give it a go.
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:50 AM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh?Then maybe I should give it a go.
posted by Too-Ticky at 10:50 AM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
You can tell if someone is an Opera user the same way you can tell if someone is vegan or got rid of their television. ;)
… by asking them?
posted by Going To Maine at 10:52 AM on March 21, 2016 [3 favorites]
… by asking them?
posted by Going To Maine at 10:52 AM on March 21, 2016 [3 favorites]
> Well I work on browser development, and I'm still using leeches to balance my humours.
If we can object-orient COBOL we can C-ify Hippocrates.
posted by benito.strauss at 12:01 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
typedef enum {HUM_BLOOD, HUM_YELLOW_BILE, HUM_BLACK_BILE, HUM_PHLEGM} humour_type;If we can object-orient COBOL we can C-ify Hippocrates.
posted by benito.strauss at 12:01 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
He's already kind of D-ified.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:46 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:46 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
ctrl+u has been the mefi standard for long enough that if it changed now, i would probably hit the wrong keys forever.
posted by emptythought at 5:38 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by emptythought at 5:38 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
There wouldn't be a way to select ctrl-U vs ctrl-K as an individual user preference, would there?
posted by tapir-whorf at 8:31 AM on March 22, 2016
posted by tapir-whorf at 8:31 AM on March 22, 2016
That way lies madness!
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 8:34 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 8:34 AM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Sounds like someone needs to learn how to change their keyboard shortcuts. On a Mac it’s built into the Keyboard system preference.
posted by bongo_x at 9:41 AM on March 22, 2016
posted by bongo_x at 9:41 AM on March 22, 2016
Although I’m not sure how this would work on an individual website. I switched to Keyboard Maestro recently since Quickeys is dead. Maybe there’s a way to use something like that.
posted by bongo_x at 9:46 AM on March 22, 2016
posted by bongo_x at 9:46 AM on March 22, 2016
I'd still love a blockquote pony very much.
posted by jeather at 11:14 AM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by jeather at 11:14 AM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
This isn't per se a MeFi pony request, although it would work here just as well as other places and it's relevant to this MeTa:
I would love a browser add-in which would let you paste the address of another tab direct into the current edit window. So much the better if it was context aware enough to format it as a link with the title, or suchlike.
Is there something like that that exists already?
posted by ambrosen at 7:12 PM on March 25, 2016
I would love a browser add-in which would let you paste the address of another tab direct into the current edit window. So much the better if it was context aware enough to format it as a link with the title, or suchlike.
Is there something like that that exists already?
posted by ambrosen at 7:12 PM on March 25, 2016
It's never going to happen, but I'd love to have vim key bindings anywhere I have to edit text.
posted by double block and bleed at 1:32 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by double block and bleed at 1:32 PM on March 26, 2016 [1 favorite]
Older browsers for security reasons must involve some novel definition of security that I am unaware of.
Speaking of the editor, I just noticed the bracket and slash buttons that show up at smaller breakpoints. That's a nice touch!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 7:00 PM on March 26, 2016
Speaking of the editor, I just noticed the bracket and slash buttons that show up at smaller breakpoints. That's a nice touch!
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 7:00 PM on March 26, 2016
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We picked Ctrl-U because Ctrl-K is already used in Firefox to send focus to the search box. We want to pick shortcuts that don't interfere with expected browser behavior and that can be a challenge sometimes.
posted by pb (staff) at 7:47 AM on March 20, 2016 [12 favorites]