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Smashing Magazine published this article stating that it's more user-friendly to set your links to open in the same window, not a new one. I found that really surprising as I have always assumed it's good practice to open external links in a new window. They argue that users become annoyed with many tabs being open and the lack of back-button functionality, but to me it's easier to close a window than press back (especially if you've entered data, like in a search box, which then gets erased). I'm constantly right-clicking links to open them in a new window rather than overwrite my current page.
I set all the links off my blog to open in new windows because I think a user might want to check out what I've linked then carrying on reading my blog. It's not, as the article suggests, a sneaky way to keep people on your site. To me it's logical that any internal page of a site should open same window, and external links should open new windows.
How do non-designers feel about this?
Target = blank?
Thursday, 3 July 2008 Posted in: web
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12 Comments
I feel exactly the same as you and am always right-clicking to open windows in a new tab. And I always set my links to target=blank!
I hate back clicking; I forget I'm looking at something and continue to browse, then I just get myself muddled :/
I prefer a new window as well. I always seem to lose what I was looking at in the first place.
I was surprised by this too - maybe it is true for the new internet user, or one who only uses it for work.
Otherwise, I think that the way the web is read has changed - I know I often have many pages open - my preference is to have a tab (rather than a window) open in the background.
I guess we all have our own styles of surfing...
I prefer to have things open in the same window because if I want something in a new tab I'll automatically open it in a new one myself, and if I don't it's because I want in in the same window.
(also more slightly geeky in depth reasons: if I open a new window/tab yourself you can stay and finish reading the page I'm on uninterrupted, if a new one's opened by the html target it automatically takes me to look at the new one and I have to click back to the tab I was on, which sometimes isn't that easy to find if you have millions of them open like I usually do :))
Phew, didn't realise I felt that strongly about it!
Link in new tab, not a new window! I use different windows for different subjects and it's easier to follow (this window for shoes, this one for summer holidays, this one for other holidays etc etc)
Also ban whatever it is that makes some new windows flip to the front when they've finished downloading (ie Google Mail)
I have always linked to, and opened links when browing, in new windows. Opening things in new tabs is even more convienient! how odd
See now weirdly, I really hate using tabs! So i guess it really is different for everyone.
I'm a new window person too. My computer at work has me using more and more tabs though. I would probably have switched over to completely already if I weren't a little addicted to the "Alt+tab" keyboard shortcut. Not to mention the number of times I've closed a window full of tabs instead of just the one tab. Ugh.
I agree - I much prefer a different tab. I set all my stuff to open target=blank. But, maybe it's just a matter of individual preference, or how comfortable someone is with surfing the internet.
I always use target=blank, and I always open links in a new tab - now I'm used to tabbed browsing I find it so much easier! Plus if I go through lots of links, I tend to lose my train of thought so opening new tabs means the original tab is still there for me to go back to x
> How do non-designers feel about this?
When I left-click a link, that means I am done with the current webpage and want the linked page. If a new window opens instead, that is as unexpected as it is annoying and frankly disrespectful to the visitor.
Thankfully, Firefox can be configured to ignore the target attribute entirely, so it behaves as expected regardless of any target settings.
If I am not done with the current page, I'll open the link in a background tab for later and keep reading the current page. I opened the article you linked in the background while I read your post and its comments.
Hello. And Bye.
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