RSS – open in a new window??

Install the “Better RSS Widget” plug-in!
You can set default options (like open in new window!!), but also overwrite in each widget.

Thanks clairecunniffe for the question and thanks to milprod for the answer. the plug in is exactly what I’m looking for. what a great way to start monday morning.

:O)

If you want to open a new window with xhtml strict compliant code, the widgett is not sufficient.

Instead use a script such as at: https://articles.sitepoint.com/article/standards-compliant-world

then in wp-includes\default-widgets.php, about line 759:
$title = "<a class='rsswidget' href='$url' rel='external' title='" . esc_attr__( 'Syndicate this content' ) ."'><img style='border:0' width='14' height='14' src='$icon' alt='RSS' /></a> <a class='rsswidget' href='$link' rel='external' title='$desc'>$title</a>";

(rel=’external’ added twice)

and line 880:
echo "<li><a class='rsswidget' href='$link' rel='external' title='$desc'>$title</a>{$date}{$summary}{$author}</li>";

(rel=’external’ added once)

This will open the rss icon window, the feed title window and the feed article window in new windows and is compliant.

-JEDs

And how does it help the users now find that the focus has changed without warning and who cannot navigate back to the original window?

Oye! Good Sir, as you are a moderator of this fine forum, I am ill-advised to get into a back-and-forth with you on probably most anything. I should at least bow to you for your help on a recent thread!
(Read: Thank you)

Yet…deep breath. I have followed the conventional wisdom of not opening a new window for many years. Now some argue on the improved sophistication of the end user. There are those that will angrily close a site that opens a new window. The site can warn the user about the new window link. The site owner has to juggle what the effect will be against the purpose of the site along with the purpose of the new window. And then test to determine if it should be changed.

Does not the use of a plugin to open a new window provide the same result? (If so, then your post here could have been 3 months ago)

My only purpose here was to provide a compliant method for those that are looking for a way to open a new window. The OP validated that it might be useful to someone.

Guardedly, (where are the emoticons? ;+)

-JEDs

That “Thank you” was genuine. I very much appreciate all the help I get all over the web, and try to give back when I can.

So if attitude is perceived, I apologize. I was miffed to provide help that was being asked for.

-JEDs

I’m not arguing against your code. I’m all for compliant solutions. It’s the whole opening new windows that I think needs questioning.

This isn’t about people disliking them (although I am firmly in that camp) nor about increasingly sophisticated end users. It’s about those who use methods other than mouse and graphical display. Switch users, for example, rely heavily on the browser Back button for basic navigation. New windows break that. Add in the change of focus to the new window and they’re pretty much left stranded and unable to return easily to the original window. Since the apparent purpose of spawning new windows appears to be to keep visitors on your site, it seems that, in this instance, you end up actually defeating your own objective.

If screen readers users aren’t warned about the sudden change in focus, they can become disorientated and confused. VR and sighted keyboard users may also have to jump through hoops to get back to the originating site/window. Put all these groups together and you end up causing serious problems and a huge amount of frustration to a lot of people. If it’s a government or federal site, you may end up breaching internal or external accessibility guidelines.

And all for what? Because apparently site owners are scared of people leaving their site? Why? Is their content so poor that no one will come back given half a chance? Wouldn’t time and effort be better expended in increasing the content quality and hence the site’s stickiness rather than coming up with ever more varied means of creating problems for visitors who just wanted to click on a link?

All I’m asking is for people to think before doing adopting this kind of external link policy on their sites instead of just automatically scrambling for target=_blank in a fit of site owner anxiety.

Oh – and the fact that I happen to be a mod here can be safely and completely ignored. ?? These are my personal views. Nothing more.

I did try to tread lightly as I had an idea it might have been your personal view. We are are entitled.

Your reasons are good ones and as I said the effect has to be measured and is certainly a decision of the site owner.

Once again I have to ask, why now have you chosen to lash out (poor choice of words perhaps)only yesterday on the practice of opening new windows on this thread specifically, instead of 3 months ago? The OP has perhaps come and gone, never to benefit from your point of view. The reason may be a good one; you were not operating here in your present capacity, you only just became aware of the thread, etc.

You see, I was concerned that it would become personal, and it felt that way on this side of the screen. If you can divulge why, I would appreciate it.

Best Regards,

-JEDs

Once again I have to ask, why now have you chosen to lash out (poor choice of words perhaps)only yesterday on the practice of opening new windows on this thread specifically, instead of 3 months ago?

I must have missed the other threads. ?? I do try to draw attention to the potential issues if I can but then web accessibility and accessible design are both specialisms of mine.