How to Use Computer Shortcuts

Robbie Ferguson: I’m going to show you a real quick tip, just something that I really like in Firefox. And this is kind of cool. I don’t know, I just like to throw these things at you Carrie because some people do not know about them. Carrie Webb: Okay. Robbie Ferguson: Let’s say we are in just anywhere on the web and you are used to, let us say we want to bring up this link in a new tab, we are used to right clicking on it and hitting “Open link in a new tab”. Carrie Webb: Yeah. Robbie Ferguson: And that brings it up, up here and then we can click on it and then it’s open right? Carrie Webb: Uh-hmm. Robbie Ferguson: Did you know? I don’t know if you know this Carrie but your mouse, if I can pull it over here, you’ve got a scroll wheel, do you know you could push into that scroll wheel? Carrie Webb: I did know that but I didn’t know what it did. Robbie Ferguson: Ok, so that’s actually a button. That’s like your middle mouse button if you remember in the old days— Carrie Webb: I do. I do. Robbie Ferguson: Way back then you have the three-button mouse. Carrie Webb: Yup. Robbie Ferguson: In this instance, if you are using Mozilla Firefox, cool thing about that is when you click that button, notice I’m not going to right click, I’m just going to click that button in the middle and it’s going to automatically bring it up in the new tab. Carrie Webb: No way! Okay. Robbie Ferguson: So, that is nice and quick. Just a little quick thing and when you use a computer as often as I do, you will look for ways to cut down on the numbers of clicks. Carrie Webb: Oh, sure. Robbie Ferguson: Because the more clicking you get, the more closer you are to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Carrie Webb: Very true. Robbie Ferguson: Yeah. Carrie Webb: Actually, yeah, I am appreciating those little shortcuts I just discovered the “Alt” feature in Microsoft Office and it just saved me so much time. Robbie Ferguson: Cool. What’s that? Carrie Webb: Like we press “Alt” and then “F” for home. Robbie Ferguson: Oh, like “Alt F” for your file menu? Carrie Webb: Yeah. Robbie Ferguson: Cool. Yeah. Carrie Webb: And then “O” for open and I’m so impressed. Robbie Ferguson: And that is the case with so many different applications. I even here in Firefox and Ubuntu, all that is the same thing. Carrie Webb: Oh! Robbie Ferguson: So, and then you’ve got stuff like, you know, your Window key in Windows. It’s going to bring up your start menu. So, if you push that thing that looks like a Windows logo? Carrie Webb: This one? Robbie Ferguson: Yeah. That’s going to bring up the start menu for you. So, it’s just a quick form. Carrie Webb: Oh my goodness! That’s great. Robbie Ferguson: Cool huh? Carrie Webb: I don’t press any buttons that I do not recognize. So, maybe I should. Robbie Ferguson: It just goes black in which is like, “What’s going on?” Carrie Webb: Blue screen to death, I said not my favorite thing.