We have discussed links opening in a new window or the same window on Blogger Talk Blog Forum in the past. This is still a debatable topic.
I use to open links in a new window, but I now consider it to be a rude practice. In my opinion it is like forcing your preferences upon your readership.
I always right click and open a link in a new window or I use my tabs.
Lorelle Van Fossen has a great list of things she wants gone from the web in 2007. One of the things is opening links in a new window.
Lorelle says “They are not user-friendly and violate web and accessibility standards.” Not everyone is in agreement with Lorelle.
Darren Rowse has an article on his blog where he asked his readership if links should open in a new window. 54% said new window while 46% said same window.
Some bloggers choose to open links in a new window because they don’t want visitors leaving their site.
My opinion is if you write interesting content they will return to your blog any way.
Do you force external links to open in a new window?
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12 responses so far ↓
Wrote: Oct 4, 2007 at 4:48 pm
I wrote about this very topic a few months ago and there were quite a few interesting comments. My preference is to leave my links for the same window and allow the user to open in a new tab/window on their own if they so desire.
Wrote: Oct 4, 2007 at 6:05 pm
It’s so easy to use the center button or scroll button on your mouse to open a link, so why should we have it forced upon us? That’s why Firefox invented tabs and IE followed. So it would be easy for us to open everything in a new tab if we want. Right?
Wrote: Oct 4, 2007 at 6:33 pm
If I have a post that’s full of links, I’ll often target them to a new window (because often those links lead to other interesting links and it can end up being a pain in the butt to keep hitting the back button). Other times, I won’t. Mostly it’s just my muse exercising her capriciousness (My muse is a hot chick - what’s yours?).
Ian
Wrote: Oct 4, 2007 at 6:58 pm
I have all links on my blog opening in new windows. I don’t mean to be rude to anyone, nor am I afraid of losing visitors. That fear would be pretty ridiculous, as the internet is huge and it’s just so easy to go elsewhere. It’s useless to try to retain your visitors at all costs.
Actually, I see links opening in new windows as a facility that I offer to my visitors. This way they can wait the other sites load while they continue reading my blog. And if they’ve gotten enough of my posts, they can always close my blog’s window and stick to the websites I recommended them.
I also must say that the “_blank” tag hasn’t made my audience decrease. Much on the contrary: my daily hits have been increasing slowly but surely.
Finally, it should be noted that many people still don’t know they can right-click and open a link on a new window or tab. I myself haven’t been aware of this possibility for a long, long time. I was not that savvy, and neither are many other internet users.
Of course, one could always try to “educate” her readers by posting things like “if you want to open this link on a new window, please follow these instructions”. But that would look awkward, to say the least.
Alternatively, you could offer two links (a same-window and a new-window one), as seen in certain sites. But some grumpy experts might say that this would be “too much”, a sign of “exhibitionism” and whatnot. So in the end it’s all a matter of (personal) taste.
Wrote: Oct 4, 2007 at 10:47 pm
I have some links that open in a new window, but most of them don’t, and the reason that most of them don’t is that I don’t usually take it into consideration. It’s just another extra thing that has to be done - if you’re going to do it.
For consistency - since I don’t do it most of the time - , I’m leaning to have all my links open in the current window. For the exceptions where I want them to open in a new window, I’ll leave a comment in parenthesis: opens in a new window
Wrote: Oct 5, 2007 at 5:59 am
I think its best to open in a new window. It actually helps usability.
We need to remember that not everyone is an expert on the web. There are LOADS of users out there who don’t know about opening new tabs or how to get back to a site (especially when some sites use javascript to prevent using the back button to go back beond their site).
Atleast when a new window opens a user can simply close it. Plus, nowadays opening a new window in firefox opens in a new tab anyway. So its easier for firefox users.
I dont see a problem with opening a new window. They read the content, close it (or the tab) and are back to your site where they were.
Its better than having to re-type in your sites URL (or clicking on a bookmark to the root URL) and having to navigate through back to where you were.
Wrote: Oct 5, 2007 at 9:37 am
I agree with Karen, mostly because I’VE gotten lost on where the page I wanted to go back to was. Sometimes I have multiple tabs AND multiple windows at home from searching my wife has done. Sometimes (like right now, actually) my tabs aren’t working on my work computer.) Opening new windows isn’t meant to be rude, and I apologize if people have taken offense, though no oner has ever mentioned it to me.
Apropos of nothing: Rose, you’re mentioned in my blog today.
Wrote: Oct 5, 2007 at 12:33 pm
In my opinion I think it takes control away from the user. It is like pushing your personal preferences on them. Also opening a new window breaks the back button.
Wrote: Oct 5, 2007 at 10:06 pm
I agree with Karen and ROG for exactly the same reasons.
I personally like visiting a site that uses _blank, but I’ve never held it against anyone for NOT using it, yet.
PS you’re mentioned on my blog today too - you hornets nest mixer upper!
Wrote: Oct 6, 2007 at 4:04 am
Interesting post!Like you said, people will get back to your site if it’s good but there isn’t a 100% chance..Why take chances?So,while i blog,i make it a point to add the target=_blank tag compulsorily.Till date,i have never had any of the links i use to open in the same window.It’s a user’s tendency to click on things and explore.ANd in that curiosity people may tend to forget your site’s very existence and get carried away!:mrgreen:
I won’t ever hate sites that use a blank tag.I would love that! With tabs,the tag is a blessing!
Wrote: Oct 6, 2007 at 12:10 pm
I didn’t know you had a choice
Wrote: Oct 6, 2007 at 2:09 pm
I had no idea it was considered rude or bad form. I do it simply because it annoys the heck out of me when I go to a site and then the back button doesn’t work because the site owner has it set up to reroute to the same page if you try to use the back button.
I don’t know what that’s called, but it really torks me off. Because then, I have to start all over. I can’t just click an “x” at the top of the screen and close a box.
If I don’t know the URL of where I was, I have to close my browser and run the same search I did before to find the site I was on. I think this is a lot more inconvenient than what I’m doing by having my links open in a new window. I totally agree with Noddegamra.
It never occured to me that someone might think I was trying to keep them on my site. On the contrary, I don’t want them to lose the trail back to the site that linked to me in the first place.