1. One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for panning content within a display area presented on a computing device, the method comprising: detecting a user-initiated input applied the touchscreen interface; receiving at the operating system actuation information from the touchscreen interface, wherein the touchscreen information comprises touch locations; ascertaining that the touch location occurred within a content region of the display area surfaced at the touchscreen interface, wherein the display area is rendered by a touch-naïve application in communication with the operating system of the computing device, wherein the touch-naïve application is unequipped to recognize drag operations within the content region as an indication to pan content therein; identifying whether the touch-naïve application supports scrolling functionality with respect to the content of the content region; deriving a gesture from the touchscreen information, wherein deriving comprises recognizing the gesture as a drag operation by disambiguating the drag operation from a tap-type or other operation; when the touch-naïve application is identified as supporting scrolling functionality, generating panning messages that function to pan the content within the content region of the display area according to the drag operation; and when the touch-naïve application is identified as not supporting scrolling functionality, generating mouse messages to be delivered from the operating system to the touch-naïve application and causing the touchscreen interface to translate the content region within the display area without panning the content therein.