"Mute" pointer to avoid pop-ups

[Stephen Tashi]

It would be nice to have a feature to "mute" the pointer controlled by the mouse so no pop-ups of any kind would appear unless a mouse button was pressed.

When I'm not purposefully trying to do something with the mouse, I often keep my hand on it without paying attention to what its doing with the pointer The somewhat random motion of the pointer causes various pop-ups to appear and obscure things I'm trying to read. I'd prefer not to have anything pop-up unless I click on it.

 

[dlgoff]

This was discussed back in 2013. https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/share-hover-over.712562/#post-4517102

 

[Stephen Tashi]

This was discussed back in 2013. https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/share-hover-over.712562/#post-4517102

That was a discussion of some sort of bug in hover pop-ups. I'm talking about getting rid of them entirely. Pages are infested with pop-ups.

 

[Borek]

Are you sure these pop-ups are part of the forum, and not something you have to disable in your browser?

 

[davenn]

That was a discussion of some sort of bug in hover pop-ups. I'm talking about getting rid of them entirely. Pages are infested with pop-ups.

??

infested ?
what pop-ups are you referring to …. you comments so far are pretty vague
I have no popup problem on IE, Firefox or Chrome

the only thing I have remotely related to a popup are the drop down menus from the "items along the top of the page...…

MY PF INBOX ALERTS FORUMS etc etc

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

the only thing I have remotely related to a popup are the drop down menus from the "items along the top of the page...…

Yes he is referring to the navigation drop downs. This will be a consideration when we revisit our style later this year.

 

[Stephen Tashi]

??the only thing I have remotely related to a popup are the drop down menus from the "items along the top of the page...…

MY PF INBOX ALERTS FORUMS etc etc

I get a pop-up if the pointer happens to hover over the title of a thread.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I get a pop-up if the pointer happens to hover over the title of a thread.

The term is drop down menu

 

[Stephen Tashi]

The term is drop down menu

Ok, but I find that amusing. While hovering the pointer over "ALERTS" causes something to appear that is "down" relative to the word "ALERTS", hovering the pointer over a thread title causes something to appear that is "up" relative to the thread title. The thing that appears over a thread title has no items to pick from, so it seems strange to call it a "menu". "Pop-up" seems a more apt term for the things that appear over thread titles.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Ok, but I find that amusing. While hovering the pointer over "ALERTS" causes something to appear that is "down" relative to the word "ALERTS", hovering the pointer over a thread title causes something to appear that is "up" relative to the thread title. The thing that appears over a thread title has no items to pick from, so it seems strange to call it a "menu". "Pop-up" seems a more apt term for the things that appear over thread titles.

My mistake, I understand what you are saying now. I thought you were rehashing the previous discussion on the menu drop downs.

 

[davenn]

Ok, but I find that amusing. While hovering the pointer over "ALERTS" causes something to appear that is "down" relative to the word "ALERTS", hovering the pointer over a thread title causes something to appear that is "up" relative to the thread title. The thing that appears over a thread title has no items to pick from, so it seems strange to call it a "menu". "Pop-up" seems a more apt term for the things that appear over thread titles.

Personally, I don't have any issue with the pop up over the thread title ... it just gives you a portion of the OP which is handy for a quick views to see if it is of interest to read further.

If you don't want to see the pop up ... don't hover over the title
Reminds me of that old joke
Guy goes to the doctor and says "it hurts when I press here"
Doctor replies " then don't press there"

Yes he is referring to the navigation drop downs. This will be a consideration when we revisit our style later this year.

I have no issue with them either Dave

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

If you don't want to see the pop up ... don't hover over the title

Some members have zoom levels increased and the tooltips can be quite large then.

 

[OCR]

It would be nice to have a feature to "mute" the pointer controlled by the mouse so no pop-ups of any kind would appear unless a mouse button was pressed.

When I'm not purposefully trying to do something with the mouse, I often keep my hand on it without paying attention to what its doing with the pointer The somewhat random motion of the pointer causes various pop-ups to appear and obscure things I'm trying to read. I'd prefer not to have anything pop-up unless I click on it.

Ah, I understand now... this deal, right ?

.

 

[Stephen Tashi]

Ah, I understand now... this deal, right ?

.

Yes.

 

[Dale]

I get a pop-up if the pointer happens to hover over the title of a thread.

I don't get that.

@Greg Bernhardt I have no strong opinion about the drop down menus automatically dropping down in response to a mouse hover. They don't bother me, but it wouldn't bother me to have to click on them either.

EDIT: I do get the pop up for the title also. I have never noticed it before today.

 

[Stephen Tashi]

I don't get that.

When you are on a Wikipedia page, do you get pop-ups when the mouse cursor hovers over text that contains a link? That's starting happening to me - even when I use an old version of Firefox, one where it didn't used to happen.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

EDIT: I do get the pop up for the title also. I have never noticed it before today.

Requires you hanging on the link for about 1.5 seconds.

 

[Stephen Tashi]

Requires you hanging on the link for about 1.5 seconds.

The trouble with that interface is that when I am concentrating on something, I tend to leave the mouse motionless wherever it happens to be. I don't use the cursor to direct my attention. For example, if I am reading a thread title, I don't put the cursor on the thread title as I read the words. Are there people who do things like that? - put the cursor wherever their eyes are focused?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

The trouble with that interface is that when I am concentrating on something, I tend to leave the mouse motionless wherever it happens to be.

Me too, I noticed that subconsciously I usually place the mouse in an "open space". I am open for debating this preview tooltip feature and putting it to a vote.

 

[Stephen Tashi]

Me too, I noticed that subconsciously I usually place the mouse in an "open space". I am open for debating this preview tooltip feature and putting it to a vote.

Of course, I'd vote against tooltips, but my original post asks if there is technology that would allow tooltips to be set as a personal preference.

It would be interesting to hear an explanation of the technologies involved in the things that web pages do "on their own". For example, there are pop-ups and there are pop-up blocker add-ons for browsers. The pop-up blockers block certain things but not others. Some blockers are directed to the things done by webpages with javascript. Are tooltips implemented with javascript by the webpage? - or are they implemented by the browser as part of a standard interpretation of the mark-up language that describes the webpage?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Of course, I'd vote against tooltips, but my original post asks if there is technology that would allow tooltips to be set as a personal preference.

Generally only within the confines of the website's software. This option could be programmed in, but it's not available at the moment. You could also create a custom style sheet for PF where the tooltip layer remains hidden. I know @mfb has done stuff like this. For some tooltips that will not work. Like if they are html title or alt attributes.

Are tooltips implemented with javascript by the webpage? - or are they implemented by the browser as part of a standard interpretation of the mark-up language that describes the webpage?

All tooltips are programmed in and interpreted by the browser. You can program them via javascript, css and via html attributes and PF uses all three in various places.

 

[OCR]

When you are on a Wikipedia page, do you get pop-ups when the mouse cursor hovers over text that contains a link? That's starting happening to me - even when I use an old version of Firefox, one where it didn't used to happen.

Yes, it's a Wiki thing called "Page Preview" ...

If you don't like it, left click the gear icon, left click "disable", then left click "save"... . .

.