[thelist] Target=_blank or back button?

Chris W. Parker cparker at swatgear.com
Thu Jun 20 16:35:01 CDT 2002


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Means, Eric D [mailto:eric.d.means at boeing.com]
>
> I would say that a web browser should never *force* a user to
> open a new
> window.  Leave the links without targets (except in the case
> of frames); if
> the user wants a new window they generally are quite capable
> of choosing to
> create one.  Contrariwise, if you put target=_new or
> target=_blank and I
> *don't* want a new window, I have to go to quite a bit more
> effort to keep
> my current window, esp. in the case of form submits and whatnot.
>
> Give the user the power; they generally know their surfing
> habits far better
> than you do, especially since one's surfing habits change
> from page to page
> and even link to link (e.g. if I'm reading a news item with
> multiple links,
> I'll open some of those links in new windows for
> later reading, continue to the end of the article, and then
> perhaps click
> another link to load a new item in that same window.  You
> can't predict
> which links I want in new windows and which I don't, so don't try).

i disagree.

but just as with any argument like this, it's of course a holy war. and
therefore i will not defend my position. ;)



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