Stephen M. Canale | One of the most frustrating aspects of doing a lot of web surfing occurs when you spend an inordinate amount of time following links, and then using the "back" button when you need to reload the original page. |
One of the most frustrating aspects of doing a lot of web surfing occurs when you spend an inordinate amount of time following links, and then using the "back" button when you need to reload the original page.
This comes up frequently when scanning on-line for homes, or other real estate related information. You may find yourself going through a group of listings, but they're all linked from a single page. Thus, you end wasting time doing a lot of "back and forth" surfing trying to load pages with more information for each item.
There is also the common problem of finding yourself "lost on the web." You've followed one interesting link, and then another, and another, and so on. Thirty minutes later you would like to get back to the page you started this adventure on, but cannot seem to get all the way "back" to where you began!
The solution to these, and many other surfing frustrations, is to simply "follow the link" by opening a new "window."
In order to do this, just move your cursor over the link you wish to follow, and then "right-click" your mouse (instead of "left-clicking") and you will activate a menu that allows you to "Open in New Window." What this actually does is starts another copy of your browser, and follows the link in the new copy.
This simple procedure allows you to:
1. Open numerous web pages and switch from one to another at will (using the "alt" and "tab" keys together) so that you can compare the information on each page quickly and efficiently.
2. You can follow an interesting link in a second copy of your browser. Now, when you're ready to go back to the page you started from, simply "close" the additional copy ("alt" and "F4" being the fastest way to do this) and your original window (still containing the page where you began) will pop back to your screen!
How many "copies" can you have open at any one time? My current record is 33, but I could probably open more,
if my brain could handle more data. The only real limitation seems to be the amount of memory you have
installed in your system; and in your brain too, I suppose!
Published: July 28, 1998
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Editor's Note: This article reflects the opinions of Stephen Canale only and not necessarily the views of this or any other publication, organization or Website owner.
