Greg's Corner

Google Chrome and the backspace debate

As a blogger/writer, or even someone just trying to type out a Facebook status, nothing is more frustrating than hitting the backspace key to correct a typo only to have your browser go back three pages and lose all your work. Up until recently, Google’s Chrome browser on the desktop had the backspace key mapped as a shortcut for the command to go back in your history. While most users celebrated Google’s latest decision to free the backspace key for its intended purpose, others, who we’ll refer to as Philistines, lamented the change.

In an unusual move by Google, they’ve tried to please all the people all the time by releasing a Chrome extension called Go Back With Backspace. When Google removes a feature or service, they usually don’t care whose toes they step on. Google Reader anyone?

While this may be a textbook example of a first world problem, this comes as a great relief to many a writer who has accidentally lost their content after hitting a mis-functioned backspace key.