Slide order and the filmstrip

Question

Here's something that's been driving me nuts for a long, long
time. Can I really be the only one? (I haven't found any posts on
this...)
I have an annoying habit of inadvertently rearranging my
slides on the film strip. I can't figure out how (circumstances
under which) I keep doing this, but it is annoying as all get-out.
Somehow I unwittingly drag a slide around on the filmstip, and
occasionally I don't realize slides have gotten out of order until
it's been published and a reviewer says 'this doesn't make any
sense." And it is sometimes hard to remember in a detailed recorded
capture what the order was originally.
Okay, /rant. Anybody have any experience with and advice on
this 'phenomenon'? <insert smiley here>
Thanks a bundle!

Answer 1

Thanks for your feedback, everyone.
Here's one example of the work flow style that causes me to
use the film strip a lot.
I have some linear WBTs that include branching. In other
words, I need to enforce a mostly linear order, although there are
some branches to support certain interactions. So I need to control
the nav and I don't include the playback control, but I do believe
in allowing the learner to control the pace as much as possible. I
have individual image nav buttons that appear on each and every
slide. Depending on the slide, the timing, and the branching
situation, the button may operate differently from one slide to the
next. (And yes, I make sure it remains predictable to the user.) So
I typically get all my content in, then go back in and work on the
nav and the timing, adding the buttons and then going through and
adjusting their behavior, slide by slide. I have not found a way to
do this wholesale with different 'types' of image buttons. This is
much easier to do if I can look at the individual slide, but see it
in context simultaneously with the filmstrip thumbnails, and be
able to jump two up, three down, whatever, to make related tweaks
to timing, etc.
These are software training WBTs, with conceptual stuff
sprinkled in. I guess I'm surprised that this is an unusual way to
work.
The idea of numbering the slides is great, but I do a fair
amount of rearranging as I go, as the flow gets tweaked. However, I
could see renaming with topics, so at least I know that a
particular misplaced screen-shot slide belongs down in the
"Managing Lists" section, or whatever.
I would also prefer to use the keyboard. I typically move up
and down the filmstrip w/the arrow keys. I know you can't do that
with the individual slide view. Didn't occur to me to try page
up/down, though. (Duh! Silly moi.) Thank you, Andrew! That is one
of those simple habit things that will just help immensely.
Thanks again! I will submit the 'feature request' too.