Tab... POST December 21, 2011 7:32 AM   Subscribe

A small commenting feature request: Change the tab order so that tabbing out of the comment box puts the focus on the post button.

This would mirror what's becoming a conventional keyboarding reflex in many places (GMail, for example): tab-enter == send.

I realize that there's a pressure to keep the posting process thoughtful, but speaking as a keyboarder, it's a really jarring bit of user experience for me in an otherwise streamlined and minimal UI. I am not suggesting this for the posting UI; that has different requirements, and should in my opinion be a bit slower for the user.
posted by ChrisR to Feature Requests at 7:32 AM (51 comments total)

I could get behind tabbing out of comment box putting focus on "Preview" and then "Post Comment" on the next tab.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:35 AM on December 21, 2011


test
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:40 AM on December 21, 2011


Writing in the comment box and then hitting tab does put the focus on the Post button, on both MeTa and Metafilter.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 7:41 AM on December 21, 2011


not for me, it sends me to the live preview 'hide' first, then my username in the preview, and then some mysterious place for a few clicks and then finally the post comment button.
posted by Think_Long at 7:45 AM on December 21, 2011


Not in Chrome, it doesn't. I tested it on my previous comment and this one. It goes to the Live Preview Hide link.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:46 AM on December 21, 2011


Test tab
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:52 AM on December 21, 2011


Yeah for me it's tab-tab-post in Firefox.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 7:53 AM on December 21, 2011


Mine (FF8, Windows) goes Hide - username - posting time - Post Comment button
posted by donnagirl at 8:04 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


So tab-tab-tab-tab-enter
posted by donnagirl at 8:05 AM on December 21, 2011


In Firefox 8, tabbing goes to Hide, then my name, then the time, and only then to Post.

If I include a link then it goes to the link in the live preview after Hide. So 4 tabs plus however many links you put in.

This is with Professional White Background, of course.
posted by darksasami at 8:05 AM on December 21, 2011


This is with Professional White Background, of course.

I'm on the PWB too. Wonder if that makes a difference?
posted by Rock Steady at 8:07 AM on December 21, 2011


I'm on PWB. Tab - tab - unicorn.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:09 AM on December 21, 2011 [5 favorites]


Nope. Still the same behavior in the Grey. (It's so dark in here! Can someone turn on a light?) Google Chrome 15, Windows 7, etc.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:10 AM on December 21, 2011


It's awkward when you realize youre the only guy in the room working on Explorer.
posted by Think_Long at 8:15 AM on December 21, 2011 [2 favorites]


I've never used the PWB, so it's 4 tabs in grey for FF8.
posted by donnagirl at 8:18 AM on December 21, 2011


ok, updated the tab order a little for the form. I haven't had a chance to test in anything beyond Chrome but it should be better.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:19 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


Straight to post for me.
posted by donnagirl at 8:24 AM on December 21, 2011


Looks good to me in Mac Chrome, Firefox, Safari, WinXP/IE6, and Win7/IE9. Thanks tabindex.
posted by pb (staff) at 8:25 AM on December 21, 2011


test
posted by Think_Long at 8:27 AM on December 21, 2011


yay we get whatever we want
posted by Think_Long at 8:28 AM on December 21, 2011 [6 favorites]


Quiz
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:28 AM on December 21, 2011


exam
posted by Think_Long at 8:52 AM on December 21, 2011


Hotshot
posted by Grither at 8:53 AM on December 21, 2011


Funny, in chrome it takes you to Preview if you don't type anything in the comment box, but Post if you do. Is this intentional or just weirdness due to the live preview?
posted by smackfu at 8:58 AM on December 21, 2011


Awesome, pb. Thanks!
posted by ChrisR at 9:00 AM on December 21, 2011


smackfu, intentional. The Post button is disabled as an option until you type something.
posted by pb (staff) at 9:02 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


 
posted by Pronoiac at 9:18 AM on December 21, 2011


The Post button is disabled as an option until you type something.

Odd, it doesn't look disabled. Oh well.
posted by smackfu at 9:20 AM on December 21, 2011


Weird how sarcastic & smart-ass a blank comment can look. To be fair to pb, I did type something there.
posted by Pronoiac at 9:34 AM on December 21, 2011


Our next experimental form of user probation will involve setting the tab focus to the "close browser tab" widget.
posted by cortex (staff) at 9:56 AM on December 21, 2011 [7 favorites]


In Safari on OS X 10.5, tab just moves me in a loop through all the available text-entry fields in the browser window. It never highlights a button anywhere. I wish work would get with it & buy me that 12-core Mac Pro that I so desperately need.
posted by Devils Rancher at 10:45 AM on December 21, 2011


Which version of Safari is that Devils Rancher?
posted by pb (staff) at 10:49 AM on December 21, 2011


trying it
posted by JohnnyGunn at 10:52 AM on December 21, 2011


5.0.6. Let me run Software Update before anybody freaks out.
posted by Devils Rancher at 11:12 AM on December 21, 2011


FF 6.02 on OS 10.5.8 does the same thing that Devils Rancher describes. However, before you made the change it also went to the Preview button. I could hit Tab, Preview-Enter and it would land on the Post button on the next page. On the next page hitting Tab cycled through the the Post and Preview buttons also.
posted by zennie at 11:15 AM on December 21, 2011


Apparently, that's the end of the line for PPC machines.

Sending tele-graph: DEAR BOSSES BROWSER NOT SAFE STOP 12 CORE MAC PRO ONLY SOLUTION STOP
posted by Devils Rancher at 11:15 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


WTF, now my Preview button doesn't work at all.

There is probably something funky about my setup.
posted by zennie at 11:16 AM on December 21, 2011


Doesn't do shit in NCSA Mosaic 0.87a running on Mac OS 6.
posted by birdherder at 11:55 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


Devils Rancher, you might try going into your Mac system prefs, keyboard prefs, and then check the "Turn on full keyboard access" preference. That's supposed to improve tabbing in Safari.
posted by pb (staff) at 12:07 PM on December 21, 2011


Yes, the choices explicitly state
• Text Boxes and Lists Only
:: All Controls.

That was entirely my problem.
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:44 PM on December 21, 2011


Though I bet a new Mac Pro would have fixed it too
posted by Devils Rancher at 12:46 PM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


I use a mouse for everything... the only time I touch the keyboard is to enter text. What is so time sensitive you folks can't slow down a bit? I know, I know, different strokes, bless you all...
posted by Meatbomb at 1:44 PM on December 21, 2011


What is so time sensitive you folks can't slow down a bit?

I am really tired of being bashed around...I was just looking for a new Mac Pro.
posted by Devils Rancher at 1:57 PM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]


tab tab tab goose
posted by subbes at 2:41 PM on December 21, 2011


duck duck duck tab!
posted by babbyʼ); Drop table users; -- at 3:14 PM on December 21, 2011


Test
posted by crossoverman at 3:52 PM on December 21, 2011


I type the comment, I hit tab, I hit enter, and bam!
posted by planet at 5:02 PM on December 21, 2011


jessamyn: "I'm on PWB. Tab - tab - unicorn."

My narwhal feels neglected too.

Mine (Firefox 9, Windows 7) goes tab - unicorn. So it works the way the OP wants.
posted by IndigoRain at 5:54 PM on December 21, 2011


indefatigable
posted by desjardins at 6:37 AM on December 22, 2011 [1 favorite]


tab tabd
posted by sebas at 10:32 AM on December 22, 2011


Next step - template comments!
posted by knapah at 4:02 PM on December 22, 2011


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