Why double-clicking in browsers?

[Tim Tripp]

John Burke wrote:
> 
> I hesitate to even ask this question (fearing that Friday-zaniness has
> overtaken me), but here goes:  has anyone else been feeling overrun with
> users who feel they must double-click every HTML link (or "Back" button,
> etc.) they come across?

John,

No need to be afraid of asking this question - it's certainly a common
problem
for me, usually manifesting itself with support calls that start with
"This intranet thing of yours doesn't work..."

> Most annoying point (for us):  from our library electronic reference
> sources page, we have a link to a telnet session for our OPAC.  Users
> routinely double-click this link and simultaneously open the session and
> then hide it behind the browser window.  When they try to click on the link
> again (even with a single-click) the telnet session will not open for them
> and they call for help.

Or, they end up opening multiple windows, and their underpowered 486
slows to a crawl, resulting in "This intranet thing of yours is too
slow...."
 
> It's an easy enough problem for us to correct for them, but it gets
> repetitious and annoying at times.  My question is perhaps a rhetorical
> one, but what has made people of all walks into determined over-clickers?
> Is it just that enough computer instructors/saavy friends/librarians/etc.
> have hammered into them the idea that you have to double-click to start
> programs and that you can double-click as a shortcut for closing windows
> and choosing files?

"STOP DOUBLE CLICKING!!!" uttered in anguished frustration usually does
the trick.  If anyone has a better solution, I'd love to hear it.

Cheers,

Tim

-- 
Tim Tripp, Librarian                           
Spar Space Systems (Brampton)                
Spar Aerospace Ltd.                          
9445 Airport Road
Brampton, Ontario, Canada
L6S 4J3
http://www.spar.ca/
Tel:(905) 790-2800 ext. 4108
Fax:(905) 790-4423 
Work: ttripp at spar.ca 
Home: ttripp at inforamp.net