OCD #36: Those Who Type 'http://'

I have a sister whose educational background is in psychology (she's currently getting a masters degree) who claims that we all have (on some level or another) obsessive compulsive disorders.  One thing that absolutely drives me nuts are people that take the time to type http:// when typing in a web address.  Or they use their mouse to select a URL sans the http:// and delete it, believing that they have to have the protocol there in order for the Internet Gods to direct them to the correct website.

News flash: YOU DON'T HAVE TO TYPE THE HTTP PART! All modern browsers assume that you are using the HTTP protocol when typing in a URL in the address bar! That's seven characters you don't have to type! STOP THE INSANITY! Just type the address and because your browser loves you so much, it will automagically add the http:// for you.  Now, when you're going to an FTP site, yes, you have to have the ftp:// part.  When watching an MMS stream, you have to explicitly type mms://--that's perfectly normal because you're telling the browser that the address you want uses a different protocol.  But please, do your fingers a favor and save those seven keystrokes for something more productive.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled blog post.