Anyone know how to turn off Drag and Drop Text Editing in Firefox?

Uncle google isn't helping.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/8339 ?

Wait. You're telling me it's not a simple configuration option? That boggles my mind...

Not that I see.

FWIW, http://kb.mozillazine.org/About:config_entries

Yeah, I forgot to say I searched both Google and the About:config screen for anything relevant.

A pox on you Tony! I didn't even know FF3 would do that. Now I can't seem to keep it from happening.

Ok, someone has to ask. What exactly is the benefit of turning it off ?

I was wondering the same thing. I actually like to use it, so I am quite surprised to hear that someone might not.

Bitt's link alludes that drag/edit text capabilities are a hassle with touch-screen computers, though.

Not having to undo selects that turn into accidental drag-n-drops due to shaky hands?

I've never had that happen.

Drag and drop text editing is the bane of all existence. It is evil, immoral, causes cancer, eats the last piece of pizza, dog-ears your comic books, borrows your car only to return it with an empty tank, and says rude things about your parentage. I believe it should be *OFF* by default in all applications.

Specifically:

It is far FAR too easy to have a block of text selected, then do something else (such as moving over to another window to paste the copied text, then moving back to the first window with a slightly-sloppy click) which accidentally (and almost invisibly) moves that text to a different spot within the editor window. You don't realize you've done it until after it's too late and you've hit the "submit" button.

I've had it happen far too often, and I'm quite handy with a mouse. I'm very precise in all of my clicks and drags, yet I've still done it. Imagine what it's like for someone who's clumsy with a mouse.

Do you also turn off the thing where leaving a block of text selected, then typing something, deletes the selected text? That one is really what trained me never to leave blocks of writable text selected. (I can't remember whether Impression, or the other programs that led RiscOS's change from select+copy/move to cut/copy/paste -- a change I never liked -- also did the Windows-style overtyping thing.)

Peter

No, I actually *depend* on that feature.

I've had it happen a couple times (with non-shaky hands), but I've also seen it happen to my dad, most frequently when he's using a laptop's trackpad.

Oh, yes, drag and drop text editing is at its absolute worst with trackpads. Especially when the trackpad is configured for tap-to-click, or tap-lift-tapdrag to drag.