Only when I am changing font sizes on the page, to bookmark where I am. Browsers tend to jump around an article when you do this and it's easy to lose your place.
Poll: Do you select text while reading?
221–230 of 366 posts
Re: Poll: Do you select text while reading?
#222Constantly. Spastically.
Unless I'm on the nytimes website.
Re: Poll: Do you select text while reading?
#223I often double click on a paragraph to highlight all of it, and keep track of where I'm reading.
Re: Poll: Do you select text while reading?
#224I'm glad to see others do this.
I don't think I would use a browser plugin; selecting with the mouse is completely satisfying for whatever reason I do it.
I think it's a way for me to feel connected with the text, too. reading a book, I either trace with my finger or a piece of paper I slide down the page (not word-for-word, but by sentences and paragraphs).
Re: Poll: Do you select text while reading?
#225I am absolutely amazed at the response this poll is getting. You people are a bunch of freaks! ;)
I frequently select text when I need to get up from my desk at home to deal with the kids (and not lose my place), but not to the extent that other here are describing, unless it's the random tick click thing.
I'm sure there's a psychologist in our midst that can explain this phenomenon. But, I'm still shocked that this post has generated this much attention.
Re: Poll: Do you select text while reading?
#226Re: Poll: Do you select text while reading?
#227I never even realized I did this until my wife asked me what the heck I was doing one day. I'm still not sure why I'm highlighting all the time, but sometimes it is to keep my place when I scroll the page. Other times it is completely subconscious.
Re: Poll: Do you select text while reading?
#228i think i do it to make the text feel 'tactile' and thus more engaging
Re: Poll: Do you select text while reading?
#229As a note, this appears to be in response to the top comment on the story "The greatest google mail feature you may not be using" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4838810 The comment complains about the behavior interacting poorly with text highlight reading: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4838940 I love reading (and highlighting to read) these sorts of discussions.
Yes absolutely. I was already familiar with that google mail 'feature' because I/it had unconsciously 'messed up' a couple of my replies before I realised what it was doing (and why).
Re: Poll: Do you select text while reading?
#230Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes this is definitely what I do too. I also tend to repeatedly tap the paragraph on the trackpad, so that fits well with your nervous habit analogy.
Yep, same. Sites that do things like auto-search highlighted words drive me nuts because of it.
ALA New York Times. Although, I checked right before writing this, and it seems they got rid of it, or at least, they replaced it with a not less annoying, but potentially more profitable full page pop-up that forces you to sign up. I wonder if once singed, they have the auto-search. Can anyone confirm?