# Why have I \*just\* discovered this?! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 6, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422 "2003-03-06T04:07:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/1 "2003-03-06T04:07:59Z")
I have used windows computers virtually all my life. Only now have I discovered that the space key scrolls down a page (and shift-space scrolls up) ---
**Author:** ![Cessandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cessandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cessandra)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/2 "2003-03-06T04:10:41Z")
It works on Linux, too (at least Mandrake/KDE/Galeon, which is what I am using.) Drives me nuts when I think I’m typing in a reply box and I hit space only to find myself suddenly staring at the copyright. ; ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/3 "2003-03-06T04:11:26Z")
Two words: mouse wheel. 🙂 I knew about the space=scrolldown thing, not about the shift+space=scrollup thing. ---
**Author:** ![Seldon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seldon)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/4 "2003-03-06T04:14:19Z")
Really odd that you mention this, because last night while I was sitting here checking out what was going on at the SDMB, my 2 year old son climbed into my lap and started trying to touch the keyboard. And kept making the screen scroll down by pushing the space bar. I was completely amazed, and thought that I, too, was the only person who had never figured that out. ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/5 "2003-03-06T04:15:57Z")
Damn. I never knew that. It just worked on Netscape, on my Mac. Wow. A cross-platform thing! ---
**Author:** ![Lynne\_kilii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lynne\_kilii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynne_kilii)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/6 "2003-03-06T04:25:19Z")
SWEET! THANKS! ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/7 "2003-03-06T04:35:33Z")
That’s Awesome! I’ve been a computer programmer for over 15 years, and I didn’t know that! The keyboard shortcuts I use frequently are: Window key… - e = brings up explorer - f = brings up search window - m = minimize everything - break = brings up system properties window - L = lock computer - r = bring up “run” window and finally, the ones I use a LOT when browsing with ie are: backspace = go back a web page ctl - n = Open New browser window alt - f4 = close current window. This is VERY handy when I don’t have my popup blocker turned on and I go to a rogue website that kills me with popups. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/8 "2003-03-06T04:37:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Coldfire \* > \*\*Two words: mouse wheel. 🙂 > > I knew about the space=scrolldown thing, not about the shift+space=scrollup thing. \*\* The shift key reverses most actions (shift-tab tabs in the opposite direction, for instance) (at work, we have no mouse wheels) ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/9 "2003-03-06T04:39:43Z")
I love shortcuts. I knew about the space bar, but another handy trick is right click in the scroll bar area. You get: Scroll here (scrolls to the place you right clicked on) Top (scrolls to the top of the page) Bottom (scrolls to the bottom of the page) Page Up Page Down ---
**Author:** ![Vaioman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ecccb3/32.png) [@Vaioman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vaioman)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/10 "2003-03-06T05:08:07Z")
I use F5 for refresh and F6 to get to the address bar, as well as Alt-F4 to close windows… Wish there was a keyboard shortcut for everything… ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/11 "2003-03-06T05:12:14Z")
I’m still not used to GUI’s (:D), so I use keyboards more than most people, even when surfing. For the record, there are a number of handy short-cuts not mentioned here: Alt+[Cursor Left] - “Back” button Alt+[Cursor Right] - “Forward” button Ctrl+D - bookmark current page (works in IE and Netscape) Ctrl+N - new browser page Um, can’t think of any other off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Klaatu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Klaatu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klaatu)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/12 "2003-03-06T05:18:39Z")
Slight hijack re Linux: When I first got into Linux, I loved the forward slash (/) in listing directories as opposed to MS backslash () on the command line. Ex: “cd c:\directory” (win) as opposed to “ls /home/directory” (lin) To me, much easier to type not having to “reach” for the backslash. ---
**Author:** ![it\_sjustme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/da6949/32.png) [@it\_sjustme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/it_sjustme)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/13 "2003-03-06T05:50:38Z")
Count me as one of those who didn’t know any of these things (please, God let there have been others who didn’t know any of these things 😃 ). Thanks for the helpful info! ---
**Author:** ![irkenDoom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c2a13f/32.png) [@irkenDoom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irkenDoom)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/14 "2003-03-06T06:07:02Z")
The shortcut I use most when web browsing would be Ctrl+Enter. It adds “www.” and “.com” in the address prompt in IE. I just wished it worked with Netscape and Opera. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/15 "2003-03-06T06:16:23Z")
Well, I’ll be dammed! It works! Doubt if I’ll ever use it because of my mouse wheel, but hey! Learn something new every day! ---
**Author:** ![LolaBaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@LolaBaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaBaby)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/16 "2003-03-06T06:24:44Z")
I only got on the Internet after the mouse wheel was standard issue, so that’s new thing to me! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/17 "2003-03-06T07:50:12Z")
I had no idea! Then again, I had my scrolling mouse for at least a year before I realized that the cursor didnt have to be positioned over the actual scroll bar area. One day I just accidentally clicked on the page itself and DING! It hit me. The ctrl+wheel roll is my favorite trick. ---
**Author:** ![Einmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Einmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Einmon)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/18 "2003-03-06T10:38:40Z")
Well, I never…Boy, you live and learn. What’s next? Upon pressing “Alt + Strg + Space + COFFEE + Enter” my laptop will prepare me a piping hot cup of java? They should invent that. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/19 "2003-03-06T10:43:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Einmon \* > \*\*Well, I never…Boy, you live and learn. > > What’s next? Upon pressing “Alt + Strg + Space + COFFEE + Enter” my laptop will prepare me a piping hot cup of java? They should invent that. \*\* You know, you’d think that if you had an actual “COFFEE” key, there would be an easier combination there… ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422/20 "2003-03-06T10:46:13Z")
I’ll be buggered like a Finnish construction worker, it works! I’ve never known that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-have-i-just-discovered-this/159422.md?page=2)