Just let me select text

Post by aartaka » Wed, Sep 24, 2025, 9:16 PM UTC

Reubachi wrote: post #168

mystraline wrote: post #47

Ive 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…

Because browsers and their operators, like any other industry, over time morph to a shareholder driven mess that needs to constantly be integrating with feature/product X. If the same operator also controls the entire adspace in the web, and has significant impact/input on other connected media devices beyond webbrowsers, what incentive do they have to empower users to "ignore" content, be it ads, ai slop, bad UI? Th…

Post by aartaka » Wed, Sep 24, 2025, 9:19 PM UTC

lukan wrote: post #396

miltonlost wrote: post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because people don't understand what a joke is sometimes, even on that's obvious like this.

Or some people just have a desire to vent of lots of that anger boiling inside them and are just looking for a excuse to shout at something ..

Post by aartaka » Wed, Sep 24, 2025, 9:21 PM UTC

sixothree wrote: post #361

baby_souffle wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Google pixel devices have had this for years. It's one of the few things that keeps me glued to this platform. Just push the button to go to the task switch view and as long as the window preview thumbnail isn't blanked out, I can just get the phone to OCR any part of the screen in real time.

iPhone has had this for years.

Post by wizzwizz4 » Wed, Sep 24, 2025, 9:22 PM UTC

narag wrote: post #383

zelphirkalt wrote: post #260

I have a habit of selecting and highlighting text on computer screens, while reading. I have no issues tracking lines usually, but somehow I still select and highlight. Maybe it is just easier to track lines this way. When I see some web page, that prevents this, then that website gets a -50 reputation score out of 100 in my book. So if the site is perfect in every other way (almost no site is) then -50 still makes i…

Well, yet another compulsive selector here, but: Similarly I get annoyed, if every pixel is some clickable action trigger. This is the worst. It permeates all kind of GUIs. Windows has this mini preview windows that pop up when you're hovering over the apps in the taskbar. Also if you accidentally hover over them , all the windows are minimized except the one previewed. Microsoft has systematically terminated every s…

Post by aartaka » Wed, Sep 24, 2025, 9:24 PM UTC

pmontra wrote: post #221

NoraCodes wrote: post #16

Given 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…

Nice catch. Luckily I can use uMatrix to disable css and select and copy the post. Oddly the selection is transparent. Firefox Android. > I’m lonely. Like everyone-ish else. Naturally, I’m on Bumble