Why can't I click back to the website I was just on?
December 9, 2012 3:59 AM Subscribe
Why do Facebook & Google prevent me from clicking backwards to see the website I just viewed?
I use IE9. Starting about 9 months ago I've found the back button has become increasingly useless. It just boomerangs me back to the website I'm on. Then, when I right-click on the back button to get my recent history, I see there are one or more google or facebook junk urls between the site I was on and the site I'm now on. I have to click on the correct url from among them, plucking a rose from the thorns. to get back to where I just was.
What gives? If I switch to Firefox or Chrome, will I no longer have this minor but constant irritant?
I use IE9. Starting about 9 months ago I've found the back button has become increasingly useless. It just boomerangs me back to the website I'm on. Then, when I right-click on the back button to get my recent history, I see there are one or more google or facebook junk urls between the site I was on and the site I'm now on. I have to click on the correct url from among them, plucking a rose from the thorns. to get back to where I just was.
What gives? If I switch to Firefox or Chrome, will I no longer have this minor but constant irritant?
It does not happen to me with Chrome for Facebook and Google. Just try Chrome.
In general this does happen with several redirects, but neither Google nor Facebook should use those. So maybe you've installed a browser plugin or toolbar that creates this?
posted by oxit at 4:12 AM on December 9, 2012
In general this does happen with several redirects, but neither Google nor Facebook should use those. So maybe you've installed a browser plugin or toolbar that creates this?
posted by oxit at 4:12 AM on December 9, 2012
I think this may be the same redirection issue as covered in this recent thread:
http://ask.metafilter.com/230473/How-do-I-keep-Google-from-seeing-which-search-result-I-clicked
posted by Lanark at 4:27 AM on December 9, 2012
http://ask.metafilter.com/230473/How-do-I-keep-Google-from-seeing-which-search-result-I-clicked
posted by Lanark at 4:27 AM on December 9, 2012
Facebook does use url wrapping/mangling (as does Google, as per the previous post). It's mostly just so they can track you (ugh). If you switch to Firefox or Chrome and use an extension (such as Redirect Remover for Firefox, or this post for Chrome) you can get rid of this. Personally I would recommend switching away from IE regardless, but that's just me...
posted by anaelith at 5:35 AM on December 9, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by anaelith at 5:35 AM on December 9, 2012 [1 favorite]
Double clicking on the back button will send you one page back when single clicking doesn't work.
posted by entropyiswinning at 10:26 AM on December 9, 2012
posted by entropyiswinning at 10:26 AM on December 9, 2012
Best answer: Short answer, they do it to track what you've clicked, plain and simple. That, unfortunately, breaks the normal behavior of the back button.
entropyiswinning gave one easy solution. You can also either right-click the back button or hover (or if it has a drop-down arrow on one side, click that) to chose from the past few pages in your history - Just skip back two instead of one to deal with mangled URL redirections.
Personally, I'd suggest using a plugin such as anaelith recommends, as that both fixes the problem and provides just one more small way you can help protect your privacy online.
posted by pla at 11:12 AM on December 9, 2012 [2 favorites]
entropyiswinning gave one easy solution. You can also either right-click the back button or hover (or if it has a drop-down arrow on one side, click that) to chose from the past few pages in your history - Just skip back two instead of one to deal with mangled URL redirections.
Personally, I'd suggest using a plugin such as anaelith recommends, as that both fixes the problem and provides just one more small way you can help protect your privacy online.
posted by pla at 11:12 AM on December 9, 2012 [2 favorites]
I used tabbed browsing so much that this doesn't bother me. In fact what bothers me is when I'm prevented from opening a new tab.
posted by dhartung at 11:36 AM on December 9, 2012
posted by dhartung at 11:36 AM on December 9, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by mannequito at 4:02 AM on December 9, 2012