Posting Date: April 08, 2003

Anonymous Person Writes -- "Why do users type complete URLs, like "www.webword.com," into search boxes? Is it because they don't know they can launch a URL by typing it directly into their browser's address bar? Or is it because search engines like Google auto-place your cursor in their search box? You know, when you load their browser, click into the address bar, and begin typing a URL, only to notice afterward that Google (your default starting page) has loaded and hijacked the cursor -- thus placing your URL in Google's search box. Either you run the search on Google, or duplicate your effort by clicking the address bar a second time and typing the URL a second time. What other well-intended design devices backfire for you?" (Comments: Well?)

Reader Comments...

Google's cursor hijack slaps me in the face every day. I just run the "search" and click the first link. It's easier than fighting Google.

Cursor auto-placing also screws with me when I launch multiple links into new windows. Say I'm on WebWord's front page and I launch 5 links into new windows. After a few seconds I start reading the first page while the others load, but then *BAM* one of the other pages auto-places the cursor, forcing that page to come to the top and become my dominant window. @#$%^&*!

Think no one launches new windows that fast? Think again. Or start visiting Fark.com.

Posted by: Anonymous Person on April 8, 2003 11:42 PM

I think users type complete URLs into search boxes for various reasons but mainly because it saves time!
1. Homepage: often home page definition is a search engine. If it places the mouse inside the input box directly the better.
2. No errors: Google (for example) as spell checking. Many times you type in the URL bar of the browser and if the address is wrong your cursor disapears and 404 (or other) page is showned. You have to refocus the bar and retype making another atempt! It's easier to type it in the search box and go to the correct one.
3. Search engine toolbar: mistakes are made if you have one because the input box is near the URL bar and you may confuse the two.
4. Cache: if a cache enabled search engine is used you can still view the URL even if the site is down.
5. More info: If you type into an search engine input box you can find more information regarding the URL you typed at the same time you can go to the URL. Usually the first search is the site you want and the others are related.

Posted by: Andrerib on April 9, 2003 06:08 AM

"Cursor auto-placing also screws with me when I launch multiple links into new windows. Say I'm on WebWord's front page and I launch 5 links into new windows. After a few seconds I start reading the first page while the others load, but then *BAM* one of the other pages auto-places the cursor, forcing that page to come to the top and become my dominant window. @#$%^&*!"

Are there other things that might cause the dominant window problem? Just curious. (It annoys me too!)

Posted by: John S. Rhodes on April 9, 2003 07:50 AM

Javascript that brings focus to a window. Also, Windows or IE's STUPID default of switching focus when something happens in another window. I do something in one window, like click a link, switch to another windows, and suddenly the focus is back to the previous window. Even though TweakUI is set to prevent applications from stealing focus. I also have it set so that the taskbar only flashes once, but it ignores that too, especially with instant messengers.

Posted by: Morris Cox on April 9, 2003 09:19 AM

In my experience of doin' customer support, I have encountered people who didn't know where there address bars were. At the time, most of these people were AOLers. They simply didn't know where it was, what it was, or even if one was available There's also the fact that these technologically inept people didn't know that "controls" must have received "focus" before they can start typing away.

As for focus hogging the windows, using Opera fixed that for me. While there's the convenience of tabs (vs. browser windows), I can always open a page on a new tab, or open a page in background -- no focus hogging. When I open a new page, mine stays blank automatically with the focus in the address bar. To do a search on Google, simply type "g " and the search term in the address bar.

Posted by: Francis Wu on April 9, 2003 09:32 AM

I have a blank page as my start page and the cursor is nowhere when my ie browser opens...

Posted by: Amy on April 9, 2003 12:13 PM

First off, to be technical 'www.webword.com' is NOT a complete URL, it's a host name. You need the protocol marker at the beginning ('http://') for it to be a Universal Resource Locator.
Pedantry aside, using a search engine (read google) can correct spelling and typo mistakes as Andrerib noted. Moreover, search engines can provide other matches, when you're looking for continental hotels' site and but think that continental airlines might have continental.com. Between the typo pirates putting visual spam at off-by-a-letter URLs and common words used in URLs, this may be an adaptive strategy, at least some of the time. Not to say there all of the other usability issues mentioned here don't also hold.

Posted by: need2know on April 9, 2003 01:57 PM

Every Flash-powered navigation menu I've ever encountered "backfired" on me. I right-click to launch new windows. I've never used a Flash site that allowed me to right-click.

Posted by: on April 9, 2003 06:17 PM

Some of the reasons above presume too much intelligence* on the users part. Now, before I get hung drawn and quartered for such an anti-user comment stop and consider the implications of a book title "Don't make me think".

So, I posit another reason why a search box gets used: the user wants something, they have a place they can type it into and the system responds with a list to choose from, and so they do. Why should they know that "www.webword.com" is a piece of text with a special meaning which "articles on usability" doesn't have (ie. is a [partial] URL).

They don't care, and they don't want to think. They have a piece of text, they type it into the same place they put any search text, they get a result. No fancy reasons about avoiding typo-domains or using cached pages or auto-magic spelling corrections. They have a piece of text, they type it into the same place they put any search text, they get a result.

/grumble

(* to be fair/pedantic: "presume too much _application of_ intelligence")

Posted by: Eric on April 10, 2003 02:31 AM

In other words, it's OK to dumb down the interface so it's more difficult to use by savvy users. Yes, let's eliminate the address bar completely and only use search engine boxes. Relinquish what little power we have to the corporations.

Posted by: Good Little Consumer on April 10, 2003 09:19 AM

A while back, my old version of Internet Explorer suddenly began defaulting to an MSN search page when I mistyped a URL in the address bar. Previous to that, it had given me a local error message. It was like M$ flipped a switch to turn on its secret weapon.

On my new computer, Internet Explorer defaults to a Yahoo search page (a whole bunch of other Yahoo crap was on my desktop, too.).

How do you customize the destination for error responses? I'd like to just see a local error message, instead of giving data about my mistakes to a corporation.

Posted by: Irate Explorer on April 10, 2003 09:25 AM

Of course, what a lot of people don't realise is that often you don't need the www. part. But even better, type

"webword"

in the address bar, then press CTRL + Enter. This fills out the http://www. and the .com all for you. Works in IE and Phoenix. May work in others too. GREAT time saver

Posted by: Ian Lloyd on April 11, 2003 07:44 AM

Nice, that's even faster than via the google toolbar

Posted by: Gerald on April 11, 2003 12:49 PM

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