# Quote post using keyboard
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953
**Category:** Feature
**Tags:** keyboard
**Created:** [May 25, 2014, 10:41am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953 "2014-05-25T10:41:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@TechnoBear](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TechnoBear)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2014, 10:41am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/1 "2014-05-25T10:41:53Z")
There is no method for keyboard users to quote a post. It would be nice to have the option.
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2014, 11:18am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/2 "2014-05-25T11:18:57Z")
you could possibly reply and then “quote whole post”, a bit of a stretch but we could easily add a quote whole post option, that you later edit down.
---
### Author:  [@TechnoBear](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TechnoBear)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2014, 11:32am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/3 "2014-05-25T11:32:25Z")
So far, I’ve failed to find any way to activate the toolbar buttons without a mouse…
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2014, 11:40am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/4 "2014-05-25T11:40:03Z")
shift tab seems to work, but is super tedious
---
### Author:  [@TechnoBear](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TechnoBear)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2014, 11:49am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/5 "2014-05-25T11:49:21Z")
I’ve tried that, and it doesn’t seem to work on either Firefox or Chromium. It takes me to my browser search bar.
---
### Author:  [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/6 "2014-05-25T21:01:20Z")
Works fine for me in IE11 which is what I happen to be on at the moment. Enter editor, shift-tab (move backwards in focus) a few times, then space to activate the toolbar button.
---
### Author:  [@TechnoBear](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TechnoBear)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2014, 8:47am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/7 "2014-05-26T08:47:21Z")
Enter editor. Shift-Tab gives me a cursor on nothing in particular at the bottom of the window.
Space bar at this stage scrolls the page down.
A second Shift-Tab and I have no idea where focus has moved to, but space bar does nothing.
A third Shift-Tab and I’m in my browser search bar.
Firefox 29
On Chromium (Version 34.0.1847.116 Ubuntu 14.04 aura (260972)) the first Shift-Tab takes me directly to the browser address bar.
---
### Author:  [@cpradio](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cpradio)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2014, 11:05am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/8 "2014-05-26T11:05:35Z")
> [@TechnoBear](#):
>
> There is no method for keyboard users to quote a post. It would be nice to have the option.
I just got shift tab to work in Chrome. Will try firefox next.
---
### Author:  [@cpradio](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cpradio)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2014, 11:10am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/9 "2014-05-26T11:10:23Z")
> [@TechnoBear](#):
>
> There is no method for keyboard users to quote a post. It would be nice to have the option.
K, it took 22 shift-tabs to get to quote whole post in Firefox (I didn’t count in Chrome)… But the focus indicator is weak in Firefox, so it may be unnoticeable on certain setups, thus not making it obvious it is reachable via the keyboard.
---
### Author:  [@TechnoBear](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TechnoBear)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2014, 11:42am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/10 "2014-05-26T11:42:35Z")
Ah - alright, thanks. I can guarantee I wouldn’t have kept going that many times when instructed to Shift-Tab “a few times”. 😄 And yes, it’s really hard keeping track of focus in Firefox, so that doesn’t help.
So while technically it is possible, it’s not exactly practical. I’ll continue to use my current workaround of linking, (now much easier, thanks to @sam’s recent fix)and live inhope of a better solution.
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2014, 11:59am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/11 "2014-05-26T11:59:34Z")
Making q should be fairly trivial, I really hope a developer that actually cares about keyboard shortcuts would help us out here.
Its very hard for us to prioritize power-user features so close to 1.0.
---
### Author:  [@TechnoBear](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TechnoBear)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2014, 12:20pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/12 "2014-05-26T12:20:50Z")
I appreciate your problem.
For me, it’s very definitely **not** a “power user” issue, but an accessibility issue. I have real problems with a mouse, and the more I can do by keyboard, the easier life is for me - and I know I’m not alone in this.
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2014, 12:25pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/13 "2014-05-26T12:25:07Z")
I follow, I feel for you. I used to work with someone with severe RSI who ended having to stop being a programmer.
While trying to recover he used to rotate multiple mouse configurations (track pad, mouse, roll ball etc) and got a kinesis keyboard with an adjustable tray.
I am sure we will get this stuff resolved it will just take a bit.
---
### Author:  [@cpradio](https://meta.discourse.org/u/cpradio)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2014, 12:33pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/14 "2014-05-26T12:33:00Z")
And as a programmer, I’d love to, but I just don’t have the time to spend on outside projects right now. Maybe one day in the future, but I’d be lying if I thought that would be within the next few months.
---
### Author:  [@TechnoBear](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TechnoBear)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2014, 12:46pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/15 "2014-05-26T12:46:22Z")
My problems are mostly poor co-ordination and muscle spasms, so not quite the same. I’m useless with a track pad, but I’ve often wondered if a roll ball might be easier than a mouse. We live on an island and there’s nowhere here I can try one to see, but maybe I should put it on the to-do list for next time we’re on the mainland - probably October.
Meanwhile, getting the post action shortcuts fixed has really made a big difference. I know I keep saying that, but you’ve no idea what a hero you’ve just become. 🙂
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2014, 6:47am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/16 "2014-05-29T06:47:59Z")
> [@TechnoBear](#):
>
> My problems are mostly poor co-ordination and muscle spasms, so not quite the same. I’m useless with a track pad, but I’ve often wondered if a roll ball might be easier than a mouse. We live on an island and there’s nowhere here I can try one to see, but maybe I should put it on the to-do list for next time we’re on the mainland - probably October.
>
> Meanwhile, getting the post action shortcuts fixed has really made a big difference. I know I keep saying that, but you’ve no idea what a hero you’ve just become. 🙂
This reply was brought to you by pressing the key q while the above post was selected using k
In other news j/k is MUCH improved on topic pages, less jitter, does not take you to some random spot on first press, allows you to reach suggested topics
---
### Author:  [@TechnoBear](https://meta.discourse.org/u/TechnoBear)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2014, 9:06am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/17 "2014-05-29T09:06:27Z")
> [@sam](#):
>
> This reply was brought to you by pressing the key \q\ while the above post was selected using \k\
>
> In other news j/k is MUCH improved on topic pages, less jitter, does not take you to some random spot on first press, allows you to reach suggested topics
Hey - that’s magic! Thank you (on all counts). Not just a hero, but a superhero. 😄
---
### Author:  [@riking](https://meta.discourse.org/u/riking)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2014, 9:37am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/18 "2014-05-29T09:37:53Z")
k j r \< k b d \> k j r & l t ; k b d \> k j r & a m p ; l t k b d \>
😛
---
### Author:  [@sam](https://meta.discourse.org/u/sam)
#### Post date: [May 31, 2014, 6:48am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/quote-post-using-keyboard/15953/19 "2014-05-31T06:48:22Z")
This topic was automatically closed after 2 days. New replies are no longer allowed.