Comments on: MileWideBack Firefox extension saves you from “complex hand-to-eye coordination”

By: Tony

Tony — Thu, 18 Nov 2004 15:02:03 +0000

For those who’ve mentioned mouse gestures… I liked them so much in Firefox that I got StrokeIt.exe. Yes, it’s one of the worst-named pieces of software ever, but it takes the mouse gesture idea and applies it _to every application_ on your computer.

Imagine tracing a ‘C’ to close windows, tracing a ‘reverse C’ (i.e. a C written from bottom to top) to close individual Word or Excel or whatever windows. Imagine tracing an E to open Explorer, a D within Explorer to view files by details, an N to view by icons, &c. Endlessly customizable, StrokeIt’s gestures free you up not just in Firefox but everywhere else.

Try it! Talk about freaky cool. Get rid of All-in-One gestures and go for StrokeIt

By: Terpfen

Terpfen — Tue, 26 Oct 2004 21:19:56 +0000

Agreed with Nick… I have an MX510 (blue). I simply hit the thumb buttons when I need to navigate back and forth. Saves my Firefox some bloat.

By: nick

nick — Tue, 26 Oct 2004 07:15:47 +0000

Great idea, but this is why I buy 5+ button mice where there are already buttons on it for me to just click to go back and forward. :D

By: minghong

minghong — Mon, 25 Oct 2004 15:45:59 +0000

Cheah Chu Yeow, yup, 2 hands are needed: left hand for keyboard shortcuts (e.g. Ctrl + O, Ctrl + T) and right hand for clicking.

By the way, this bug need to be fixed https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=248330 if Firefox has to fulfill Boyett’s Law.

By: pollas.dk

pollas.dk — Mon, 25 Oct 2004 09:04:26 +0000

MileWideBack Firefox extension
Yet another potenti And whaddya know, it turns out to be yet another essential extension (as far as I’m concerned). The premise of MileWideBack is simple: you use the left-edge of the Firefox window to navigate back and forth in your tab history.

By: Ido

Ido — Sun, 24 Oct 2004 18:21:57 +0000

Try using the easyGestures extention – the extention pops up a pie menu each time you click on the middle button.
all you have to do to move backward in the history is click down on the middle button, move a little to the left, click up on the middle button.

for each of the 8 directions on the pie there is a different action with another set available on a right click.

By: Cheah Chu Yeow

Cheah Chu Yeow — Sun, 24 Oct 2004 16:21:56 +0000

David: Mouse gestures can be added into Firefox with an extension (i.e. they don’t come by default). I never really got used to mouse gestures because they didn’t seem to work all the time and I found it hard to remember the gestures.

But you do make a good point on the photo gallery browsing example.

minghong: Erm, do you normally navigate with 2 hands without mouse gestures? Hehe ;) As for a Mac, I am actually thinking of getting one, but only when I have a bigger (much bigger) paycheck. I’d want to try out a Linux desktop machine with either KDE or GNOME first.

By: minghong

minghong — Sun, 24 Oct 2004 15:51:21 +0000

By the way, if you like Fitt’s Law, you should make the buttons super large! (just kidding)

You should also get yourself a Mac if you like to have menu/buttons on the edges of the screen (boyett’s law)?

By: minghong

minghong — Sun, 24 Oct 2004 15:44:31 +0000

Mouse gesture is good enough. My friends are amazed when they see me navigating with a single hand (although this may not be good to my health :-P).

By: James

James — Sun, 24 Oct 2004 14:41:40 +0000

This is one of the many ways in which Microsoft have improved my browsing experience – they sold me a mouse with a back button that works in Firefox :-)

Of course, All-in-One Gestures allow one to draw a short backwards or forwards line, or to rock the mouse buttons. The only reason the forwards and back buttons are still on my tool bar is for the little menu. I am very tempted to scare my colleagues with the spasmodic side-flipping required by this extension though :)

By: David

David — Sun, 24 Oct 2004 13:18:53 +0000

What’s the advantage of this over the standard mouse gesture of “hold the right button and click the left to go back” [and vice-versa for going forwards]?

I forget if some mouse gestures come by default with Firefox [as they do with Opera] or if they are all a part of an extension, but I would think it’s a lot easier to use the gestures than this extension — in particular when browsing back through, say, a photo gallery’s images: with the gesture, the pointer can remain fixed over one portion of the screen as you navigate back and forth.

By: alsotop

alsotop — Sun, 24 Oct 2004 12:19:45 +0000

Agreed, this extension is really sweet; the only reason I don't use it is because of my need (yes, its that good!) for Synergy. However, I installed it on my brother's computer, and he finds it very useful. Thanks for the great find!