# ESC key and browser question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 13, 2001, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/esc-key-and-browser-question/81421 "2001-09-13T19:20:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![justinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@justinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justinh)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2001, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/esc-key-and-browser-question/81421/1 "2001-09-13T19:20:56Z")
why is the ESC key defined as “back” or “refresh” on my browser? can I define it as such? I am using IE but also have Netscape. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2001, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/esc-key-and-browser-question/81421/2 "2001-09-13T19:35:36Z")
'Cause you’re using the wrong browser. The SDMB is best viewed with the [Opera](http://www.opera.com) browser. In Opera, the ESC key aborts web page loading. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2001, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/esc-key-and-browser-question/81421/3 "2001-09-13T19:42:55Z")
Browser wars? And I though the platform warriors were lame. Not in GQ. Knock it off. ---
**Author:** ![justinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@justinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justinh)\ **Post date:** [September 13, 2001, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/esc-key-and-browser-question/81421/4 "2001-09-13T20:02:45Z")
correction: the original question should be "why isn’t the ESC key defined as either back or refresh?. isnt isnt isnt isnt and can I define it as such?