Thoughts From a Clicker
By Tiny Ruisch
Whenever a bunch of computer enthusiasts get together and discuss their hardware, we often talk about our CPUs, Graphics Cards, SSD speeds, Monitor Resolutions, Web Cameras, etc. Over the years, I’ve noticed that many people overlook what I consider to be a most important computer peripheral.
How many buttons does your mouse have? If you answered “two” you might be wrong. The scroll wheel on many can also function as a third button. If your mouse has a clickable scroll wheel, it can be used for many useful functions. (Note: these tips work in most, but not all programs)
1) Hover your cursor over a link and middle click the wheel to open the link in a new tab.
2) Quickly close a browser tab by middle clicking on it.
3) Open all bookmarks in a folder at once by middle clicking on the folder in your bookmarks.
4) Enable auto-scroll by middle-clicking on a blank spot on the page.
5) Open a new instance or window of a program by middle clicking its taskbar icon.
6) A web search will find other functions.
In the early years of computing, I wouldn’t buy a computer mouse because I thought that they were useless technology that just wasted your time. After all, you had to remove one of your hands from the keyboard to use it. My thoughts have definitely changed over the years. I don’t just use any mouse though. I spend a little extra money and buy multi-button programmable mouses. I currently am using a Redragon Perdition Gaming Mouse. It has three extra buttons on the top. On the side, there are twelve more programmable buttons. After using for a while, my fingers have developed memory movements and I navigate without thinking about what I’m doing.
I like any technology that makes my computing easier. I’m lazy. I like pushing a button to check my e-mail, another button to shift to my web browser, another to start various programs, etc. I’m sure you’d enjoy using programmable equipment too.
Thanks for reading and keep on clicking.