target=_blank on these forums = bad :)

  • Just thought I’d throw this in there: Under members, links to their sites will launch in a new window. I don’t know about you, but I personally detest that ??

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 47 total)

  • why? =P

    Thread Starter Michael Heilemann

    (@michael)

    For two reasons:
    I use a tab browser. That means that I have one window open (one entry on the taskbar). All sites that I currently have open are in tabs inside that window. That’s the way I like to keep it. Ask mostly any tab-browser user, and they’ll concur. Because of this I don’t want new windows to open up cluttering my interface, taskbar and making my jump back and forth between windows.
    Secondly, it should be in the hands of the user to decide whether or not a link should open in a new window. You don’t know what I’m doing or how I browse, trying to second-guess me just won’t work. If I want to open a link in a new window I’ll SHIFT-CLICK it.

    If you are using Mozilla or Firebird you can get tab extentions so all new windows open in a tab instead.

    Eudaimic: I am a tab-browser user. =P
    Geronimo: That’s what I do for both Firebird and MyIE. That why pages opening in new windows doesn’t bother me. ??

    Thread Starter Michael Heilemann

    (@michael)

    What happens is that if I deem that I’m done with a site and I leave it through a link, I’ll left click it. Which should load the link in the current tab so that I don’t have to close it.
    But if target=_blank is used a new window opens instead… Great!
    Yes, it can be suppressed in Firebird, but that just opens a new tab instead, so we’re back to square one.
    My point is that there is no point at all for anyone to use target=_blank. Period.

    It is just an extra click to me. heck you think this is bad you should of saw it when fark.com changed over to opening links in a new window.

    I use IE / mozilla, and i like to use _blank myself.

    Thread Starter Michael Heilemann

    (@michael)

    Why? You’re taking away the choice from people, so I’m guessing you have a specific reason for it?
    If I want to open your link in a new window I choose to shift-leftclick it. Simple as that.

    I use target_blank all the time now in my links because I want to give people the choice of having my sites remain in the background. They have the choice of closing one or the other browser window down. If you look at the browser stats you’ll see that most people are not using a tabbed browser, they’re running some version of IE. See https://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_stats.asp Netscape, Mozilla and Opera simply aren’t enough of a user base to be concerned about for an issue like this.

    “Netscape, Mozilla and Opera simply aren’t enough of a user base to be concerned about for an issue like this.”
    um everyone I know, uses mozilla and my stats come back 70/30 in favor of mozilla. I personally spoof mine (caugh) for people like you..

    Thread Starter Michael Heilemann

    (@michael)

    “Netscape, Mozilla and Opera simply aren’t enough of a user base to be concerned about for an issue like this.”
    Sorry, but WHAT?! Do you write your code using this principle as well? That’s about the thinnest argument I’ve ever heard.
    “I use target_blank all the time now in my links because I want to give people the choice of having my sites remain in the background. They have the choice of closing one or the other browser window down.”
    But don’t you see, you not giving anyone a choice, you’re taking it away from them! No matter what they do, links open in a new window. Instead why not give them the choice of deciding whether or not to do so?

    Sorry, meant to say I only use target=blank for external links. I have no control over what browser people use or their browsing habits. I doubt the average Web user is even aware of shift-left click. I know from my own long personal experience on the Web primarily with IE, but I also have used Netscape, Mozilla and Opera (and still do on occasion), that I’d rather, just as others of you would rather shift-left click to open a new window, have all new external links open in a new window. In some CMS applications this behavior can be set as a default for all links. In many, many sites I’ve visited over the years, this is also SOP. It’s obvious that users who feel strongly about the “choice” issue won’t be persuaded by any argument. Their minds are made up … and so’s mine.

    Should add too that the lateral solution to the target=blank issue is to change the browser, not the user, behavior. That’s a challenge for you programmers: make it an option for the browser to interpret the various target options according to a user’s preference. So target=blank could be interpreted by the browser as an option as open in a new window or open in the existing window. Isn’t this easier and simpler than trying to impose “choice” on the user and taking design choices away from the site designer?

    Thread Starter Michael Heilemann

    (@michael)

    target=_blank isn’t a design choice, it’s a usability choice. And as such it’s a bad one. But I guess you know of Jacob Nielsen, and so I’ll let him do the arguing for me.

    someone tell me which code to modify to make the link button in the admin panel generate a open in the new window code… no flames please.

Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 47 total)
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