# Bizarre Problem with Easy Access Buttons and SDMB **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [October 27, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-problem-with-easy-access-buttons-and-sdmb/134060 "2002-10-27T02:59:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-problem-with-easy-access-buttons-and-sdmb/134060/1 "2002-10-27T02:59:39Z")
I’m wondering if anyone else has seen this problem or has a possible solution. I have a Compaq keyboard with programmable Easy Access Buttons. These are little buttons above my function keys which can be programmed to open a software program or website directly. I have programmed each button with one of my favorite websites, and I find it very convenient to be able to just click, for instance, the “Google” button, and have a new browser window instantly open to Google. However, try as I might, I cannot program one of these buttons to work effectively when opening the site I visit most frequently, the SDMB. If I just type or copy in the standard link, [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb), for some reason the system replaces the lower case “sdmb” with an upper case “SDMB” and the link does not work. I tried a workaround by browsing directly to the SDMB file in my Favorites folder, and now at least I can get the SDMB to open. However, I cannot get multiple instances of the site. If for instance, I have a Google window open, and I push the “Google” button, a second window opens with Google. No matter how times I push the button, I keep getting more Google windows. But if I push the SDMB (or sdmb) button a second time, the original SDMB browser just flashes. Worse, if I am already in an SDMB thread, and decide I want a second SDMB browser, pushing the button will cause my existing SDMB window to revert to the main forums page. This happens whether or not the SDMB is the active window at the time. Any ideas what is going here? I know that I could just use the pre-programmed Straight Dope Front Page button and click on “Message Boards”, but now that I’ve spent some time on this problem, I’d like to be able to resolve it. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-problem-with-easy-access-buttons-and-sdmb/134060/2 "2002-10-27T06:00:04Z")
I really don’t know how to address your problems, but here’s one idea. If it’s converting your URL to uppercase, you can just make your URL equal to _[http://boards.straightdope.com/](http://boards.straightdope.com/)_ and you’ll be transferred to the _sdmb_ subdirectory automatically. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-problem-with-easy-access-buttons-and-sdmb/134060/3 "2002-10-27T06:39:29Z")
Thank you! Switching to [http://boards.straightdope.com](http://boards.straightdope.com) seems to have solved all of my problems. Maybe the Easy Access Buttons don’t cope well with subdirectories. I knew I could count on Dopers. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-problem-with-easy-access-buttons-and-sdmb/134060/4 "2002-10-27T07:07:39Z")
Alright, sweet. My Uselessness Quotient is coming down at last. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-problem-with-easy-access-buttons-and-sdmb/134060/5 "2002-10-27T15:45:55Z")
Maybe you can save yourself (and the server) a fraction of a second for the redirection. Did you try [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/) (with the trailing slash)? ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-problem-with-easy-access-buttons-and-sdmb/134060/6 "2002-10-27T17:47:18Z")
Hey! Stop that. Who in their right mind would wanna bypass the front page with the link to the daily column? How do expect to ever become enlightened if you zip right past Cecil’s bitterly imparted wisdom? Going directly to the message board, indeed. If we could figure a way, you’d **have** to read the column every day before entering the message board area. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-problem-with-easy-access-buttons-and-sdmb/134060/7 "2002-10-27T18:29:22Z")
What? There’s a daily _column_? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-problem-with-easy-access-buttons-and-sdmb/134060/8 "2002-10-27T21:02:23Z")
Hey, I said in my OP that I already have a pre-programmed button that leads to the Straight Dope Front Page (it’s actually the “Home” button, the one with the little house on it). But once I’ve read the column, and Threadspotting, and visited the Weird Earl, I like to get right down to business on the boards. Zip right past Cecil’s wisdom, indeed! I do read the column _daily_, even if it’s one from 1975 that I’ve already read six times. Staff Reports too. ---
**Author:** ![Achernar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e274bd/32.png) [@Achernar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achernar)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2002, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-problem-with-easy-access-buttons-and-sdmb/134060/9 "2002-10-27T21:19:10Z")
Yeah, I think everyone does that. And anyway, I’m pretty sure that most of us access the message board about 15 times a day. That’s 14 extra hits on [www.straightdope.com](http://www.straightdope.com). > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by femtosecond \* > **Maybe you can save yourself (and the server) a fraction of a second for the redirection** A fraction of a second? A _femtosecond_ perhaps? Shameless self-plug… ---
**Author:** ![femtosecond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f08c70/32.png) [@femtosecond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/femtosecond)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2002, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-problem-with-easy-access-buttons-and-sdmb/134060/10 "2002-10-28T12:02:55Z")
I knew it. 🙂 But don’t blame me if it all adds up to a nanocentury.