Web Folk: Linking Philosophy
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- johnny_wobble0
don't open a new window for the user. let them do that themselves.
- of course, i'm not web folk, i'm print folk.johnny_wobble
- IRNlun60
I read someplace, can't remember where, that you should link without target=_blank. Still, it bugs the shit out of me when I'm reading on a site, click hyperlink and refresh page with new site, read, then having to click back to get to the original site I visited in the first place.
Long story boring, I prefer to have a new window/tab open so I can see content and quickly go back to original site.
- i don't like new windows popping up. i right click, open in new tab, if i want to keep the first page up.johnny_wobble
- Nicelydrawn0
You want to keep traffic on your site - usually. So if linking outside of your site, it is commonly done in a new window. Also consider the nature of your site. If you feel the user is going to want to come back to it soon after clicking the link, then give them a new window by default. Then when they close that new window, there is your site waiting for them.
Closing an unwanted window is far less annoying than sifting through your history to get back to a page you were on moments ago.
- < This, absolutely.Continuity
- <thisbulletfactory
- preach it!BabySnakes
- yupmoldero
- mg330
We do law firm websites, and pretty much every site's logic is written to open external links in a new window/tab.
Personally, I prefer it that way and hate navigating multiple pages into a new site only to either forget the site I came from, or need to hit the Back button a ton to get there.
- Why do you have a blog and twitter, only 16 people follow you.freshdude
- dbloc0
within site...current window
external link....new windowALWAYS
- sherm0
target _blank with GA event tracking on link.
- Jacque0
My thought has always been, external site = new window. But these other people (not web designers) are like "I'll tell you when I want a new window, dammit" and I'm like "what is going on, is my ENTIRE world-view a sham!?"
Seriously questioning myself for a moment. But glad I've got QBN to come to in my time of need.
- toodee0
I think the current preference is to have all links opening in the current window isn't it? If you've got a good reason to have a link opening in a new window you should have one of those icons at least.
- ETM0
I agree, external link = new window.
More annoying, is when a site links to a PDF without a new window. I don't know how many times I am reading a PDF and then close it to go back to the site then oops... closed it all down because it was the same window.