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Comment by SECProto | Hacker News Reader

Funny, one of the things that convinced me to switch away from chrome (back to Firefox) was when chrome got rid of the backspace-key-navigates-back. Sure, I could use an addon to restore the feature but .... why should I live with a browser that subverts decades of standard keyboard shortcuts?

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It was a horrible keyboard shortcut that caused countless lost form entries. Just because something is standard doesn't mean it is good.

Google had several possible solutions:

- warn before navigating

- give options for the keyboard shortcut

- change shortcut unilaterally

They chose the third, which some (likely the overwhelming majority) preferred. I didn't, so I switched to Firefox. We're both happy this way I guess.

>warn before navigating

This requires too much page context. A search field being partially filled is very different than a long registration form being worked on.

>give options for the keyboard shortcut

You said yourself, they released an extension for this.

Seems like there should still be enough context. A user risks lost workflow if they've done nontrivial form entry. Exactly where you set that bar may be debatable or measurable, but certainly there is a difference between a partial search query and a full address form, for example.

Alternatively, the browser could just play it safe. I recall at one point the old Opera would prompt if unsaved form edits were present, on any navigation attempts (clicking away or browser back button/backspace). This saved me on many occasions and I never remember being annoyed by over-notification.

> You said yourself, they released an extension for this.

Oh was there an official one? At the time, the only extension I could find was some slightly-sketchy third party one that allowed you to set hot keys for many things.

> This requires too much page context. A search field being partially filled is very different than a long registration form being worked on.

Fair enough.

>Oh was there an official one?

Yes, Google released an official extension to coincide with the update that removed the hotkey.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/go-back-with-backs...

I don't know when they did this, but Chrome also seems to remember form input when you back out, and re-fills the form if your reverse the backing out. That's a better solution than changing the shortcut because it works if you back out by other means, too, such as clicking the back button with the mouse or using the back gesture on a Magic Mouse.

Firefox does it to.

This has saved me many a time when I've accidentally done a back gesture on my Magic Mouse while composing an HN comment.

Sometimes, unless the flow is made of multiple pages of forms. Press back, you get to the previous form (with the fields now empty obviously), press forward, get a server 500 error.

In a nutshell, it feels like browser makers do their best to improve user experiences, and website designer do their best to ruin it again.

I'm gonna disagree with you on that. Numerous times have I filled a form only to press the back button by mistake.

Some websites just log you out if you press the back button.

Yeah, I'm not saying my opinion is popular. But having it as a flag, or offering a warn-before-navigating option would have kept me on Chrome longer. Anyway, I'm happily using firefox. So we both win!

Looks like you want an option, but not as an extension.

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/go-back-with-backs...

Perhaps you know this, but alt-left will go back as well. You can also install a vim extension and use capital H to go back.

I find not having the option really annoying when you're in a situation (e.g. relaxing) where you want to navigate with one hand. The right hand can drive the mouse and has easy access to pgup/down, arrows and backspace, but reaching for alt forces you to do crazy finger gymnastic, or use your second hand.

For me that's not the biggest Chrome deal-breaker anyway (besides privacy), as Chrome doesn't support stack-like behavior for switching tabs with ctrl-tab.

Not sure if there's a PC/Linux equivalent but Chrome (and other browsers I believe) on Mac also supports two finger swipe on the trackpad to go back/forward which works well in one-hand navigation flow.

(I also use BetterTouchTool to add similarly simple gestures for open-in-tab, close-tab, switch between tabs, and go-to-top/bottom)

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