5 ms·

Hacker News: why no target="_blank" on post links?

3 points by aleger 15y ago

I understand some people may hate it, but on a news aggregator website, it should be expected. Is this a page view issue?

sorbus 15y ago
It would be really irritating for many people; that behavior is best left to the user and the browser (most mice have middle-click which opens a link in a new tab, and - on my laptop, at least - tapping with two fingers opens a link in a new tab. Browsers can also be configured to open off-site links in new tabs).
- aleger 15y ago
  I just find it irritating when I forget to ctrl-click and having to refresh the HN page. Posted stories are not necessarily in same order. Maybe it's just me :/
  - bmelton 15y ago
    That's just you. I perhaps find it equally irritating when I click a link and it goes to a new tab. If I wanted it to go to a new tab, I'd have CTRL+clicked. *Edit -- "That's just you" is definitely too harsh a statement, as I'm sure there are a ton of people that agree with you -- That said, I don't see a compelling reason to futz around with default browser behavior unnecessarily, and I'd wager that doing so is considered bad UI.
iamjarvo 15y ago
This bookmarklet could help ppl looking to open links in a new tab http://bit.ly/ozwymv http://bit.ly/ozwymv
- pasbesoin 15y ago
  We tend to avoid using URL shorteners, here on HN. I didn't check where your link leads, but here's an unshortened bookmarklet resource that can help the original poster: https://www.squarefree.com/bookmarklets/ https://www.squarefree.com/bookmarklets/
  - iamjarvo 15y ago
    Sorry about that. I was not aware of that rule. Here is the unshortened link http://notebook.jearvondharrie.com/2011/08/25/bookmarklet-for-opening-links-in-a-new-tab/ http://notebook.jearvondharrie.com/2011/08/25/bookmarklet-fo...
Joakal 15y ago
Should be expected according to who? Reddit doesn't have it, CNN doesn't, slashdot doesn't. Web IRCs do, but for good reason, it automatically logs the person out of IRC. If I wanted to open the website in a new tab, I press Control+Click.
- aleger 15y ago
  I was under the impression Reddit had it, but it's actually a preference a user may select.
molecule 15y ago
This is easy to do w/ javascript adding the target attribute to anchors after document.ready. A user can independently do this w/ a greasemonkey script or its analog for their browser. Definitely not expected behavior from this user.

3 points by aleger 15y ago

I understand some people may hate it, but on a news aggregator website, it should be expected. Is this a page view issue?

sorbus 15y ago

It would be really irritating for many people; that behavior is best left to the user and the browser (most mice have middle-click which opens a link in a new tab, and - on my laptop, at least - tapping with two fingers opens a link in a new tab. Browsers can also be configured to open off-site links in new tabs).

aleger 15y ago
I just find it irritating when I forget to ctrl-click and having to refresh the HN page. Posted stories are not necessarily in same order. Maybe it's just me :/
- bmelton 15y ago
  That's just you. I perhaps find it equally irritating when I click a link and it goes to a new tab. If I wanted it to go to a new tab, I'd have CTRL+clicked. *Edit -- "That's just you" is definitely too harsh a statement, as I'm sure there are a ton of people that agree with you -- That said, I don't see a compelling reason to futz around with default browser behavior unnecessarily, and I'd wager that doing so is considered bad UI.

iamjarvo 15y ago

This bookmarklet could help ppl looking to open links in a new tab http://bit.ly/ozwymv http://bit.ly/ozwymv

pasbesoin 15y ago
We tend to avoid using URL shorteners, here on HN. I didn't check where your link leads, but here's an unshortened bookmarklet resource that can help the original poster: https://www.squarefree.com/bookmarklets/ https://www.squarefree.com/bookmarklets/
- iamjarvo 15y ago
  Sorry about that. I was not aware of that rule. Here is the unshortened link http://notebook.jearvondharrie.com/2011/08/25/bookmarklet-for-opening-links-in-a-new-tab/ http://notebook.jearvondharrie.com/2011/08/25/bookmarklet-fo...

Joakal 15y ago

Should be expected according to who? Reddit doesn't have it, CNN doesn't, slashdot doesn't. Web IRCs do, but for good reason, it automatically logs the person out of IRC. If I wanted to open the website in a new tab, I press Control+Click.

aleger 15y ago
I was under the impression Reddit had it, but it's actually a preference a user may select.

molecule 15y ago

This is easy to do w/ javascript adding the target attribute to anchors after document.ready. A user can independently do this w/ a greasemonkey script or its analog for their browser. Definitely not expected behavior from this user.