Knowledge's Blog

Are you loving your mouse’s middle button (a.k.a. “Middy”) more than you ever thought possible? Then you’ve obviously been reading my weeklong series on the subject. Good show!

Until now, we’ve focused solely on what happens when you click that middle button (which on some mice is also the scroll wheel). For example, clicking it on a browser tab instantly closes that tab. Clicking a Web link opens that link in a new tab. And middle-clicking a browser folder opens new tabs for all that folder’s links.

Ever wonder what happens when you click and hold the middle mouse button? Glad you asked. This action activates a handy page-scrolling option in applications like Word, Excel, Adobe Reader, Firefox, and Internet Explorer.

In other words, when you click and hold the middle mouse button, you can then drag your mouse forward or back to scroll up or down the page, respectively. This feature is intended for folks who don’t have a scroll wheel, but it works just as well with scroll wheels–and I know many people who prefer the speed of middle-click scrolling to the slow, steady pace of wheel scrolling.

Well, that’s it for now on our good friend Middy, unless you have some tips of your own to share. In the meantime, happy middle-clicking!

Let’s continue this week’s informal series on doing more with that oft-neglected middle mouse button (or “Middy,” as I like to call it).

On Tuesday you learned about using it to quick-close browser tabs, and yesterday you discovered that middle-clicking Web links automatically opens them in new tabs. What more could ol’ Middy possibly do for you?!

If you’re a Firefox or Internet Explorer user, plenty. Let’s say you’ve organized a handful of favorite sites–you know, the ones you visit daily–into a folder. Smart move.

Here’s an even smarter one: You can instantly open every link in a folder, each in its own tab, but middle-clicking that folder.

This works regardless of where the folder is located: your bookmarks toolbar, your navigation toolbar, even a pull-down menu. One middle-click of a folder and presto: every link therein opens in a new tab.

Handy, right? Tomorrow we’ll get outside your browser and see what Middy can do in Windows proper. Stay tuned!

As I mentioned previously, few users know the power of their mouse’s middle button (which on many mice is also the scroll wheel). That’s why I’m devoting this week to our good friend “Middy” and its unsung abilities.

Previously, for example, you learned that clicking Middy on any open browser tab closes it immediately–even if it’s a tab that’s not currently visible.

If you happened to read the comments for that post, you got a sneak peek at today’s tip: middle-clicking Web links. (Way to steal my thunder, LindaA! Just kidding.)

Specifically, when you middle-click a link in Chrome, Firefox, or Internet Explorer (not sure about Opera, but I’m guessing so), that link opens immediately in a new tab.

Incidentally, you can accomplish the same thing by holding down the CTRL key and left-clicking a link. But why bother with that extra half-step when you can just as easily click Middy?

More Middy goodness coming, so stay tuned! In the meantime, feel free to share any middle-click tips of your own in the comments area.

Take a close look at your mouse. Chances are good it has at least three buttons: left, right, and middle. (Note: Your middle button might be your scroll wheel, which on most mice is clickable.)

I just took an informal poll of about 10 people I know, and guess how many of them actually use that middle button? A grand total of one. One! People, people, people…

Starting today and for the rest of the week, I’m going to show you how to make the most of the middle mouse button. (Think I’ll call it “Middy.”) It’s more versatile than you’ve ever imagined.

First up: browser tabs. I routinely have 10-15 tabs open in my browser at any given time. If I want to close a tab, I have to click it, then click the little X that appears on the tab. That’s one more click than I prefer, and it brings into focus a tab I’m planning to close. Crazy, right?

Calling Middy! If you middle-click any tab in Firefox or Internet Explorer, boom, it’s gone. No need to make it visible first, no need to reach for the X. Just middle-click, boom.