vi

June 17, 2010 12:15 PM

Quite by accident, I noticed today that it's possible to scroll through MetaFilter pages using the vi-style "j" and "k" keys (at least with Safari). Has this always been the case?
posted by sappidus to MetaFilter-Related at 12:15 PM (33 comments total)

You can use the comma and period keys in Firefox and IE to do this also.
posted by Burhanistan at 12:18 PM on June 17, 2010

jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj
jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj
jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

It's not working.
posted by cjorgensen at 12:20 PM on June 17, 2010

Oh! Nice!
posted by anitanita at 12:21 PM on June 17, 2010

Matt added it in 2006 with the . and , keys. We changed it to j/k at some point in the last couple years because that sort of emerged as a standard.
posted by pb (staff) at 12:34 PM on June 17, 2010

Is it just me, or can you not scroll all the way back to the top? Chrome, PC, piece of shit work computer v.5.3 or something.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 12:45 PM on June 17, 2010

> Is it just me, or can you not scroll all the way back to the top?

Huh, same here. Win7 Firefox. Same thing for j and k keys as well. It only goes to the top of the OP text.
posted by Burhanistan at 12:47 PM on June 17, 2010

Yeah, it's only for scrolling between posts and comments. You'll have to switch to the arrow keys to go all the way to the top.
posted by pb (staff) at 12:49 PM on June 17, 2010

That'd be a lot more useful if anyone read the posts down here.

JK!
posted by SpiffyRob at 12:50 PM on June 17, 2010 [3 favorites]

While were on this subject, to make this useful to me, could somebody tell me how to turn off the "find as you type" thing in Firefox?

I don't actually use it. Like a sucker, I've been using Ctrl-F whenever I needed to search...Lord knows how many wasted key strokes that's been...but why should I start to re-train myself, especially since it's preventing me from something that might be more useful.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:51 PM on June 17, 2010

SpiffyRob, I kid you not, I removed a just kidding/jk from what I just posted before I posted it. Get out of my head!
posted by MCMikeNamara at 12:52 PM on June 17, 2010

While were on this subject, to make this useful to me, could somebody tell me how to turn off the "find as you type" thing in Firefox?

Assuming you mean Quick Find, / activates the mode, and Esc turns it off.
posted by zamboni at 12:54 PM on June 17, 2010

Are you talking about how to turn off the find toolbar? ESC works for me.
posted by desjardins at 12:54 PM on June 17, 2010

pb: "Matt added it in 2006 with the . and , keys. We changed it to j/k at some point in the last couple years because that sort of emerged as a standard"

req next/prev post with h/l keys. vi dominance forever.
:wq
posted by boo_radley at 1:13 PM on June 17, 2010

Yes, I did mean Quick Find, and while Esc does get rid of it, pressing j or k or any other letter brings it back.

But a little searching led me to check my settings and it turns out that Tools > Options > Advanced > General: "Begin finding when you begin typing" was selected.

I don't know who the jagoff was who did that, but I'm going to be very angry


(The jagoff is posting from inside the house.)


Thanks for helping me find my answer in a public way when I probably should have just done a Google search (which wasn't working because I didn't use the term "Quick Find" even though it was staring me right in the face)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:14 PM on June 17, 2010

I see what you did there!
posted by Mister_A at 1:30 PM on June 17, 2010

Wow, MCMike and SpiffyRob being on the same wavelength. That's novel.
posted by SpiffyRob at 1:33 PM on June 17, 2010

:1,$d
posted by koeselitz at 2:07 PM on June 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

> Is it just me, or can you not scroll all the way back to the top?

This is a feature, not a bug.
posted by blue_beetle at 2:23 PM on June 17, 2010

There are many easter eggs on Mefi. If you press Command + R, a new lady gaga post will appear on the front page.

Works only on macs though
posted by special-k at 2:49 PM on June 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

Pros use WASD.
posted by furiousxgeorge at 3:39 PM on June 17, 2010

:q!

(The only vi command I know.)
posted by Crabby Appleton at 4:09 PM on June 17, 2010

It's the only one you'll ever need.
posted by Roger Dodger at 6:06 PM on June 17, 2010

If you press Command + R, a new lady gaga post will appear on the front page

Also, ⌘-D flags a post as a duplicate.
posted by lukemeister at 9:43 PM on June 17, 2010

Pros use WASD.

Actually, pros use ASDF. If you use D for forward and S for backwards, you never have to take your fingers off the keys at all like you do with WASD. Takes a few minutes to get used to, then you'll never go back.
posted by davejay at 10:42 PM on June 17, 2010

> Actually, pros use ASDF.

Hmm. Doesn't that make your hand bunched up and fingers at odd angles? Using the standard WASD I can keep my wrists flat and fingers straighter.
posted by Burhanistan at 10:56 PM on June 17, 2010

This is what I call client-side animation.
posted by fleacircus at 11:38 PM on June 17, 2010

Actually, pros use ASDF.

But then you have to waste your pinky, which can't be over hovering on shift to sprint or whatever. Doesn't seem worth it to me.
posted by floam at 3:58 AM on June 18, 2010

At any rate, the "pros" (ie. paid video game testers) probably use whatever setup the software companies ask them to.
posted by Burhanistan at 5:07 AM on June 18, 2010

Holy crap, I didn't know this. It's good.
posted by theora55 at 7:36 AM on June 18, 2010

special-k: There are many easter eggs on Mefi. If you press Command + R, a new lady gaga post will appear on the front page.

Mefi needs a Konami code easter egg.
posted by WCityMike at 9:02 AM on June 18, 2010

Can you enable this for users that don't have a login? It only seems to work when I'm logged in.
posted by captaincrouton at 11:30 AM on June 21, 2010

Sure thing, just added it for non-members.
posted by pb (staff) at 11:50 AM on June 21, 2010

Thanks muchly! That was fast.
posted by captaincrouton at 12:34 PM on June 21, 2010