Talk:arrow key
Latest comment: 13 years ago by Msh210 in topic arrow key
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Definition is "any of four computer keys marked with arrows (up, down, left, right) used to move through text etc". If my numeric keypad's 7, 9, 1, and 3 keys were marked with diagonal-pointing arrows, would I not call them "arrow keys" every bit as much as I do 8, 4, 6, and 2? If my electonic appliance has keys on it and one has an arrow, would I not call it an "arrow key"? So the current definition is wrong. And the right one is SOP: delete.—msh210℠ (talk) 22:00, 7 March 2011 (UTC)
- On the other hand, the Backspace key is also marked with an arrow, but it is never called an arrow key, to my knowledge. I suspect this passes the fried egg test. -- Prince Kassad 00:02, 8 March 2011 (UTC)
- There are a lot of keys on my keyboard that are marked with arrows; Backspace, Enter, Shift, Tab. None of which I would consider arrow keys.--Prosfilaes 00:40, 8 March 2011 (UTC)
- You could call the backspace key arrow key, but people would think you mean a key that isn't usually called backspace key: the backspace key just has a better name. Moreover, the four arrow keys get grouped as a referent so a group name, arrow keys, is convenient, whereas no one ever needs to group them with the backspace key as a single referent. Those two pragmatic reasons make arrow key not be used for the backspace key: rather than that arrow key does not refer to the backspace key for lexical reasons. But another appliance or the like with a key with an arrow would have it called arrow key also, as in [1], [2], and [3].—msh210℠ (talk) 08:07, 8 March 2011 (UTC)
- Two of your examples nonetheless referred to keys that had directional denotation. And in my opinion and understanding, backspace is not an arrow key. DAVilla 19:54, 8 March 2011 (UTC)
- Agree, keep. DAVilla 19:54, 8 March 2011 (UTC)
- You could call the backspace key arrow key, but people would think you mean a key that isn't usually called backspace key: the backspace key just has a better name. Moreover, the four arrow keys get grouped as a referent so a group name, arrow keys, is convenient, whereas no one ever needs to group them with the backspace key as a single referent. Those two pragmatic reasons make arrow key not be used for the backspace key: rather than that arrow key does not refer to the backspace key for lexical reasons. But another appliance or the like with a key with an arrow would have it called arrow key also, as in [1], [2], and [3].—msh210℠ (talk) 08:07, 8 March 2011 (UTC)
- Weak keep — I suspect, as Prince Kassad does, that this passes the fried egg test. - -sche 05:03, 9 March 2011 (UTC)
- Keep because not all keys with arrows are arrow keys. Also, what if I can't find a nice, sharp flint, so I use my house key as an arrowhead? Does that make it an arrow key? Apparently not. bd2412 T 20:01, 21 April 2011 (UTC)
- For the same reason I suppose, as my shift key has an arrow on it. Keep, irritatingly. --Mglovesfun (talk) 20:04, 21 April 2011 (UTC)
Kept.—msh210℠ (talk) 20:08, 21 April 2011 (UTC)