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> Never mind that computers and internet access is ubiquitous enough these days that "using the family computer" for this sort of thing isn't really needed in the first place.

I'm just glad you're not in charge of this kind of services because although that might seem like an obvious thing to you, the reality is that the people needing that information the most are the ones who are the least likely to have easy access to a personal device with Internet access.

In particular, children and women in dysfunctional, abusive relationships are not very often provided with a smartphone and a data plan by their abusers.

I agree that the shift shortcut is unlikely to be of much use, but it's just one available method in addition to the rest.

> women in dysfunctional, abusive relationships are not very often provided with a smartphone and a data plan

This sounds like something which you have no evidence at all for claiming.

I don't have evidence but I do have experience on this.

I'm not sure why you would be the quickly dismissive of something that would seem obvious to many.

I mean, it’s a ‘water is wet’ kind of statement. Prisoners aren’t provided a mobile phone and data plan either.

I knew a person who was in abusive relationships where the abuser would keep making ridiculous claims that the person was cheating on them, and made them give up having their own phone as "proof" that they wouldn't cheat.

Of course, the abuser was cheating the whole time.

They were kept without computers and internet access: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-19711022

So it does happen, contrary to what you claim.

Abused men have similar problems although we are probably less likely to have no internet access restricting and monitoring communications is a common part of abuse.

My ex wife did not want me to get a smartphone and, in retrospect, it was because it let me keep in closer touch with family abroad (which is the main reason I have one at all). She also got very upset when I changed the password on my desktop some years previously.

> I agree that the shift shortcut is unlikely to be of much use, but it's just one available method in addition to the rest.

I don't know how the relevant user is informed about the option/feature, but assuming they're aware it is a positive feature both in terms of thoughtfulness and execution.

Be interested to see the stats on how often it gets called

> I'm just glad you're not in charge of this kind of services

Why are you attacking the user instead of just focusing on the argument?

Bad internet habit, just asssume that "you" refers to the hypothetical person made of nothing but that one expressed opinion

I do this sometimes too. I wonder how hard it would be to make an addon that marks using the second person in forum posts with the spellchecker or something.

Sometimes I intend to do it, but it’s honestly usually just force of habit.

I think it should be obvious from the full comment that I don't think that doing _something_ for this is useless. Most of my comment is about how this is not actually sufficient to protect people.

And "we need to do something for this" doesn't mean that this particular feature/button is a good idea.

Like I said, telling people to use private windows and teaching them Ctrl+W seems like a better solution to solve the same problem to me. You can have a widget with some basic tips, and you can even show the correct instructions based on the browser the person is using.

I want to thank you for this comment. I had read the entire article thinking incorrectly about this. I thought it was for people who didn't want to see the material to navigate away, and kept thinking "just turn your head, close your eyes, hit the back button".

Then I saw your comment and realized I was entirely wrong about how I was thinking about this. I get it now.

> Ctrl+W or middle click on tab isn't that far off The point of shift x3 is that it's consistent across keyboard layouts including laptops. I have a laptop where the location of the ctrl key is moved inward to make room for the function key. I frequently hit Fn instead of Ctrl and don't realize what's happening until I look at my keyboard. And that's not when I'm in distress. Same goes for middle click. It's not a consistent interaction. On some laptops you can left click and right click to get a middle click. On my laptop, it's a three finger tap.

> Never mind that computers and internet access is ubiquitous enough these days that "using the family computer" for this sort of thing isn't really needed in the first place. In a normal situation, this is true, but this is UI design for people in extraordinary situations. Their abuser may have taken their cellphone or other devices and may not have a choice in what computer they use or when they have access to it.

Nothing about this prevents private windows or Ctrl+W (assuming they have another window open so it doesn't look suspicious that they're staring at a blank desktop), it just gives victims a quick action they can take to prevent immediate retaliation.

> I frequently hit Fn instead of Ctrl and don't realize what's happening until I look at my keyboard. And that's not when I'm in distress. Same goes for middle click. It's not a consistent interaction.

Triple Shift that you can only on a single website is worse since you're even less likely to be able to use it in distress

Besides, as a site you can try to add typo-similar combinations for your "hide" action (like alt+w or win+w) instead of creating a totally different one

> I have to question how practically useful this is. Ctrl+W or middle click on tab isn't that far off. Or open private window and close that, which is a smart thing to do anyway.

Users probably don't want to attract attention by using a private window (which they may or may not think about using), and most browsers I've seen have a distinct appearance when in private mode.

Ctrl+W in normal mode has the issue of leaving a trail: Ctrl-Shift-T or similar will bring it back.

> Ctrl+W in normal mode has the issue of leaving a trail: Ctrl-Shift-T or similar will bring it back.

That also exists with this button: just press "back". Even easier.

> Overall, I'd say telling people to use private windows and teaching then Ctrl+W is probably better.

Yes, you should do that as well as understand that, for things like this, where you're providing information for vulnerable people across an entire population, your people are going to span a huge range of technical literacy and you will not be able to reach all of them in time. Give them the big red escape button with the special "dial 999" style memorable key combo as well as teach them everything else. But triage and do the "this solution works for the broadest number of people the quickest" thing first - the big red button.

Samsung Magician on Windows uses CTRL+W as a global shortcut and then it doesn't work in browser anymore. That took a while to figure out.

That's completely idiotic and whoever came up with that (apparently it even blocks crouch + walk in some games) should be tarred and feathered.

In what context ??

I've been using both for years, never had this issue ??

You can only replace the URL with another URL on the same domain. Otherwise a site could make itself look like Google and then replace its URL with Google’s, and you’d have no way of knowing that it isn’t Google.

Believe it or not, a lot of users don't understand the control key and are afraid to touch it because they think it might break their computer. They may not even be able to readily find it on their keyboard since they aren't accustomed to using it, but do tune out and skim over the things on their computer they think they can't understand.

I think you are underestimating how much being in an abusive relationship or even just poverty in general (poor people are more likely to be abused, so they're double punished) reduces your options and opportunities.

This goes for everything. Place where you live. The food that is on offer. Work opportunities, and with that the ability to plan life. Even living large enough to have a private space, like offering your kids an undisturbed place to study or - like in the post - somewhere you can safely report abuse.

I have seen it more than once: if someone from a poor family grows up and does really well in school and in college and breaks with the life they had before that is usually not enough. Because when there is time to write a CV the kids from the middle class all had parents that made them do other things. Charity work. Play the trumpet with a youth orchestra that somehow got to play in Carnegie hall. Chemistry camp. Dancing with a youth ballet company at the met. The system is rigged from the start. True meritocracy was never a thing.

A feature like this takes a developer a short time to implement, and if it saves someones life or stops abuse it is worth it.

Your description is exactly meritocracy under the original definition. The second kid has earned all of the merits, and the ones possessing the most documents of merit get ahead.

Fair point. But: the way the modern meritocracy is motivated is that it is a fair system. It is the whole idea of the American dream. Work hard and you can go anywhere. Except some people have to work a lot harder and be a lot smarter.

It would be meritocracy if both kids had equal opportunity to earn those merits. If the ability to do so is itself gated, it's only meritocratic within the privileged group.

No, equality of opportunity is specifically not needed for a meritocracy. It wasn’t in the original book[1], it didn’t happen in the old Chinese examination system, and it sure doesn’t happen now.

Merits are measurements, and society adapts to make those measurements a target.

[1]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rise_of_the_Meritocracy

Oh, but this is not how meritocracy is ever viewed in a liberal democracy. Equality of opportunity is the defence on an unequal society.

For the inequality of outcome to be fair and just, there has to be at least some kind equality of opportunity in a meritocratic society.