Making the text on the page not selectable is chef’s kiss good.
Just let me select text
231–240 of 621 posts
Re: Just let me select text
#232Given that this page has the following styles which aren't applied anywhere else on the blog: body { -webkit-user-select: none; -webkit-touch-callout: none; -moz-user-select: none; -ms-user-select: none; user-select: none; } I think it's safe to assume that being unable to select text on this page is not unintentional, as several comments here assume, nor "ironic", but an intentional effort to demonstrate how annoyin…
Yes but the joke is moot, because on the web, you can't really make text non-selectable (you can try, but it can be defeated extremely easily).
In an app, undoing that is pretty much impossible (or at least, above my pay grade).
This is one of a million reasons why apps are so bad.
Re: Just let me select text
#233Im aware about the article but for the small German Bumble example: Do not bother with bios. 99% of them are unfunny copy and paste bs because they cant be bothered to put in actual effort, their like inbox is filled up after half a day anyway.
Re: Just let me select text
#234Screenshot, paste in LLM, select text is my workaround.
Re: Just let me select text
#235It’s especially aggravating in mobiles apps, like on iOS such as: - can’t select app reviews text (for translation for example) - WhatsApp text bubbles don’t let you select text inside at all - WeChat: exact same Overall, it’s also very annoying when apps just don’t give you the standard OS options for a field. Like WhatsApp or WeChat does not give you access to the normal contextual menu at all, so no "translate" fo…
Yeah, all messaging apps seem to have decided that you shouldn't be able to select part of the message. The only option is to copy exactly one message. Not multiple messages, not that one word you want to look up from one message.
I don't know why this is standard but it is very annoying.
Re: Just let me select text
#236As a web dev, I fully agree with this, but with a huge exception: clickable text. Anything that is meant to be read as content should absolutely, without fail, be selectable and copyable (assuming appropriate permissions). But stuff like tab headers, buttons, or even text-sparse tiles - things meant for the user to click on - can, and usually should , prevent text selection. It is super annoying to be clicking back a…
All text should be selectable (and therefore readable) to support accessibility tools - at least if you’re app or site is Section 508 compliant or similar.
Re: Just let me select text
#237Ive asked this before with no answer: A browser (say, Firefox) is a "User Agent". Agents are supposed to act on our behalf, and in our best interests when ambiguities are present. So, why are OUR user agents acting on behalf of website operators and their admins and users, and not on our behalf? Having CSS that prevents usability shouldn't be implemented. Or it should be an easy toggle to turn on/off, without having…
All of those things have some niche use in an element here and there that allows for much better interaction in some kind of site. I'm honestly at a loss with unselectable text, but for example capturing the right mouse button is very useful for applications. Anyway, yes, it should be easy to turn those things off site-wide, like it's easy to zoom.
The one that comes to mind immediately is when you create a draggable element with text it's usually desirable for the user that click-drag moves the element rather than selects the text depending which part you click.
Removing the attribute would probably make things worse, as site operators then overlay transparent elements - making everything even worse than when it was just styled as such.
Re: Just let me select text
#238As a web dev, I fully agree with this, but with a huge exception: clickable text. Anything that is meant to be read as content should absolutely, without fail, be selectable and copyable (assuming appropriate permissions). But stuff like tab headers, buttons, or even text-sparse tiles - things meant for the user to click on - can, and usually should , prevent text selection. It is super annoying to be clicking back a…
It is super annoying to be clicking back and forth through tabs only to have some text erroneously highlight and then stay that way. It's more annoying when your web site won't let me copy a package tracking number to paste into my chosen package tracking program. Maybe I don't want to use your system. Maybe the program I have is better. Just because a web dev can't think of any reasons someone would want to copy tex…
That is not what they meant and you know it. They were talking about buttons labelled "OK", "Back", or "Confirm". Buttons that wouldn’t be selectable in a native app either, but somehow we don’t complaints about that here.
Re: Just let me select text
#239Given that this page has the following styles which aren't applied anywhere else on the blog: body { -webkit-user-select: none; -webkit-touch-callout: none; -moz-user-select: none; -ms-user-select: none; user-select: none; } I think it's safe to assume that being unable to select text on this page is not unintentional, as several comments here assume, nor "ironic", but an intentional effort to demonstrate how annoyin…
Are people these days so dense (i.e. stupid) they couldn't figure out it was a joke by the author?
I recently read something that stated we've never really had more than 30% of students in the US at a level of mathematical understanding where they can tell that 3/4ths and 0.75 are the same thing, conceptually.
I cannot stop thinking about this; it honestly explains so much.
Re: Just let me select text
#240Given that this page has the following styles which aren't applied anywhere else on the blog: body { -webkit-user-select: none; -webkit-touch-callout: none; -moz-user-select: none; -ms-user-select: none; user-select: none; } I think it's safe to assume that being unable to select text on this page is not unintentional, as several comments here assume, nor "ironic", but an intentional effort to demonstrate how annoyin…
> nor "ironic", but an intentional effort to demonstrate how annoying
That would in fact be a deliberate use of irony.