Deleting prompts

Anything about use of this forum : NOT about cycling
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thirdcrank
Posts: 36764
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Deleting prompts

Post by thirdcrank »

I don't know if I've got the correct expression - probably not because I more or less made it up.

There are situations eg when searching, where the software offers suggestions, based on what the user has entered previously. That's of limited use with search terms, since having searched for something once it's not likely I'll want to search again. Anyway, a list seems to build up which just becomes pointless. This is even more the case with "author." As I usually search my own posts - not out of vanity but just checking older stuff - having <thirdcrank> available as one click is handy, but not if the list becomes so long I'm having to search it before I can click it.

I'm probably missing something very obvious, but is there a way of turning this off or at least clearing the lists?
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admin
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Re: Deleting prompts

Post by admin »

The website doesn't suggest completions for input boxes, but your web browser may well do.

Which web browser are you using (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc.)?
thirdcrank
Posts: 36764
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Deleting prompts

Post by thirdcrank »

Whatever came bundled with Windows 10 on a new computer. :oops:

PS

It looks as though it's "edge."

PPS

I see that one of the on/off settings is "Use page prediction to speed up browsing, improve reading, and make my overall experience better."

Is this what I should be turning off?
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admin
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Re: Deleting prompts

Post by admin »

Here's how to turn on "autocomplete", so I presume turning it off is the same but turning off "Save form entries":

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/ins ... osoft-edge
thirdcrank
Posts: 36764
Joined: 9 Jan 2007, 2:44pm

Re: Deleting prompts

Post by thirdcrank »

Thanks for that. Had I appreciated that it wasn't the forum doing it, I would not have added to your work. :D

Of to fiddle with my settings. I may be a while.
Psamathe
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Joined: 10 Jan 2014, 8:56pm

Re: Deleting prompts

Post by Psamathe »

Something of a side issue but "Autofil" can represent a security risk and is a method hackers can use to obtain personal information without your knowledge.

To what extent they can use this depends on what information you have stored in whatever source you allow autofil to use (e.g. your contact card information). Hackers can apparently use hidden fields that some browsers will autofill when you allow it. For example, you start entering your address into a web form and your browser detects this and suggests autofilling other form fields (using you contact card) and you see all they are wanting is address info so you autofill except the hacker form might also include hidden fields for e.g. telephone, date of birth, etc. and they will sometimes be autofilled as well and submitted to the web site ... so you've given out more information than you were aware of (or would have agreed to).

I've not seen this hack attempt so am only repeating what I've seen reported elsewhere.

Interestingly, using the technique the other way round can be useful in detecting and avoiding SPAM bots. For example, in a web contact form on your own web site, you put all the usual fields Name, e-mail (for response), Subject, Message BUT you also add a hidden field e.g. Country (or something obvious) and make it a hidden field. When a real person fills in the form they will leave the e.g. Country field blank (because it's hidden and they cannot see it) but a SPAM bot will sometimes not detect it and just see it as a field and enter something - so your message processing can automatically discard anything with anything in the e.g. Country field. There are even some plug-ins for things like Wordpress to add such functionality to "Contact Forms".

Ian
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