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Just let me select text

aartaka.me

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Re: Just let me select text

#611

Post by int_19h »

bobbylarrybobby wrote: post #114
catapart wrote: post #21

As 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's always bothered me that links on webpages are single click to open. They should require double clicking to open (like just about everything else on a computer) and single click should be used to start selecting text, like everywhere else on a computer.

Double-clicking is much more difficult to do correctly, and distinguishing repeated single clicks from double clicks is another minefield (manifesting itself in e.g. the mouse gesture needed to rename a file on Windows - you must single click it once to select, and then single click the name again to edit it, but if you do it too fast, it's treated as a double click).

The real problem IMO is that we have effectively standardized on two-button mice as the baseline, with all UX then designed around that even though many mice have 5+ buttons these days. The three basic actions that desktop UI has ultimately converged on are: select; activate; show additional actions (context menu). These should logically map to three independent buttons, such that the two most common actions are mapped to buttons that have fingers resting on them in neutral position - e.g. left = activate, right = select, middle = context menu.

Re: Just let me select text

#612

Post by calmbonsai »

MaulingMonkey wrote: post #526
aartaka wrote: post #428

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hell yeah, I did that!

Ya'll gaslighting me? I tried to do that, and found it didn't work, which was just wonderfully ironic. I ended up verifying there's a `user-select: none;` in the actual `select-text.html` styling that is indeed disabling text selection. Was it added later for shits and/or giggles?

Myself, and I think others, were referring to highlighting the text of your comment. You're indeed correct that the original posted article doesn't allow selection.

Re: Just let me select text

#613

Post by selinkocalar »

Omg this is so annoying. The number of sites that break basic browser functionality for no good reason drives me crazy.

I think its bc they use JavaScript to prevent 'content theft' but it just makes the site harder to use. Like if someone wants to copy your text, they'll find a way.

Re: Just let me select text

#614

Post by gear54rus »

71bw wrote: post #600
abustamam wrote: post #402

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> unless it's a banking app and it blocks permissions for screenshots and similar things. Yeah those can fuck all the way off. I'm lucky I have two phones so I can take a photo of my screen and use it for OCR or whatever, but it's ridiculous I have to do that. I understand that for security purposes they don't want to let you take a screenshot in case of a man in the middle or whatever, but let me risk it. Warn me or…

Exactly the reason I still use LSPosed with the disable_flag_secure module on my device.

Absolutely in the same boat except some crappy apps won't run on rooted devices anymore (to the point I have a special garbage phone that's stock and it has revolut and k&h so far) so there's literally no escape.

Re: Just let me select text

#615

Post by MaulingMonkey »

calmbonsai wrote: post #612
MaulingMonkey wrote: post #526

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ya'll gaslighting me? I tried to do that, and found it didn't work, which was just wonderfully ironic. I ended up verifying there's a `user-select: none;` in the actual `select-text.html` styling that is indeed disabling text selection. Was it added later for shits and/or giggles?

Myself, and I think others, were referring to highlighting the text of your comment. You're indeed correct that the original posted article doesn't allow selection.

Ahh, that would make sense.

Re: Just let me select text

#616

Post by 71bw »

gear54rus wrote: post #614
71bw wrote: post #600

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly the reason I still use LSPosed with the disable_flag_secure module on my device.

Absolutely in the same boat except some crappy apps won't run on rooted devices anymore (to the point I have a special garbage phone that's stock and it has revolut and k&h so far) so there's literally no escape.

Revolut works fine as long as you're happy to follow the cat-and-mouse game. Use the Hide My Apps LSPosed module along with TrickyStore and a valid keybox and you're gucci. Problem is, this setup needs almost constant maintenance.

Re: Just let me select text

#617

Post by mintplant »

whstl wrote: post #555
mintplant wrote: post #226

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I highly recommend getting a clipboard manager! They keep a (usually configurable) history of your most recent clipboard items and allow switching the active selection between them.

So far the alternatives to capricious developer choices are: - Draw Chinese characters into a translator - Just have every website support every language ever - Install cliboard manager software to handle the fact you don’t always want to copy Gotta love HN.

It's frustrating that sharing workarounds in good faith attracts drive-by snark like this comment.

Re: Just let me select text

#618

Post by 48terry »

mintplant wrote: post #617
whstl wrote: post #555

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So far the alternatives to capricious developer choices are: - Draw Chinese characters into a translator - Just have every website support every language ever - Install cliboard manager software to handle the fact you don’t always want to copy Gotta love HN.

It's frustrating that sharing workarounds in good faith attracts drive-by snark like this comment.

I don't want a good-faith workaround for a website hijacking my clipboard. I want the website and its developers to stop doing things that are stupid and wrong.

Re: Just let me select text

#619

Post by 48terry »

underlipton wrote: post #587
sib wrote: post #407

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to be argumentative, but the chance of my correctly drawing "下单" and "返回" - especially using my finger on a phone screen - rounds to 0.

It's definitely not the easiest thing, but I imagine that someone working with Chinese characters often would have learned enough about radicals and stroke order to do it in a pinch. The hardest part is memorizing the characters; the OCR in, say, Google Translate, is quite good at picking out what you meant.

> It's definitely not the easiest thing

If only there was an easier way to "select" a character on a website instead of having to effin' handwrite it out on a separate app.

Re: Just let me select text

#620

Post by underlipton »

48terry wrote: post #619
underlipton wrote: post #587

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's definitely not the easiest thing, but I imagine that someone working with Chinese characters often would have learned enough about radicals and stroke order to do it in a pinch. The hardest part is memorizing the characters; the OCR in, say, Google Translate, is quite good at picking out what you meant.

> It's definitely not the easiest thing If only there was an easier way to "select" a character on a website instead of having to effin' handwrite it out on a separate app.

...OCR, as I said. But handwriting skills and radical knowledge are nice to have in case those services go down or you're dealing with bad handwriting.
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