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Ask HN: Is target="_blank" becoming outdated?
While browsing a few blogs today, I clicked on an outbound link. To no surprise, it opened a new window. I understand that everybody wants to keep people on their site for the longest amount of time possible, but I have a hunch. I tend to manually middle click when I'd prefer to open a window in a new tab. Perhaps it's just us techies (or me), but I see usage of target="_blank" slowly becoming unnecessary as the general population learns the key combinations to make their own decisions.
What are everyone elses thoughts on this common-place technique? Does a window popup irk you as much as it does me nowadays? It really may just be applicable to tech sites.
I'm guilty of using target="_blank" on my blogs as well. I'm rethinking this one...
- haydenchambers 15y agoits 100% necessary for most of my users.. those same users that don't know what cmd-F or cmd-T do
- madhouse 15y agotarget="_blank" is horrible. It was a stupid thing in the beginning, and remains to be awful to this day. If I want to open something in a new tab or window, I will do so, no website should tinker with my tabs and windows, be it opening new ones or anything else: it's none of its business. Opening a new tab without MY approval is about as bad as spying on other tabs or attempting to interfere with them in any other way. Middle click and the open in new tab/window context menu option in most browsers is there for a reason, have been there for years, and most people I know (techies and non-techies alike) know how to use it, and was one of the first things they learned to use when they met with a web browser.
- infinity 15y agoOpening new browser windows has been on the Top 10 list of design mistakes of 1999: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990530.html http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990530.html I hate it, if the back button breaks. I know many people who use the back button as one of the main elements of the browser. I have been present several times, when somebody got really angry because of a broken back button. So I would recommend the following rule as best practice: Don't ever break the back button! It takes much work and creativity to make visitors love websites. We should not ruin that hard work by a silly design decision like target="_blank". Also, the target="_blank" is a relic from the time of framesets. This time is over.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- mikelbring 15y agoI think for user's that don't really understand how to open something in a new tab or new window, they might not really want to leave your site when clicking on an external link. But who knows, if they leave, they could come back.
- OpenAlgorithm 15y agoI know from experience that most people don't know the key combos to open in their chosen windows. I always use Ctrl + T, but when I'm demonstrating something or somebody is watching me browse they almost always ask what I have done when I use the combo. It's dangerous to assume that your readers are as technically proficient as yourself. But I can see in certain citations why it might be applicable, e.g. on Hacker News the majority of their readers are going to know the keyword shotcuts because that's their target market. I do think that the blog choosing for you can be a pain, but the combos still work on the majority of links and for those who don't know them you can keep them on your site by using the target= in the link HTML, probably the best of both worlds.
- LarryMade 15y agoOn more business oriented web apps, I use it to create separate windows when generating reports; i.e. web-generated PDFs don't have an exit button. There it is VERY useful. I still use it on some sites, knowing not everyone knows how to create new browser windows by right-clicking links, and I do find it a pain myself on sites that don't use it, and I forgotten and have to page back to get to where I was before. So since I prefer it, and I find it convenient, I go with it.
- adrianwaj 15y agoA plugin that changed the color of the cursor if a new window would open upon hovering over such links would be great. here's one way: http://www.binaryturf.com/firefox-visually-identify-links-open-window/ http://www.binaryturf.com/firefox-visually-identify-links-op...
- kat 15y agoWow, I didn't realize what a pain target="_blank" was. I'm definitely guilty of using it. Have you considered changing your browser settings so a new tab opens instead of a new window? On Firefox its edit-preferences-tabs-'open new window in new tab instead'
- StuffMaster 15y agoHe probably does, but that's no justification for using it. If I left-click on a link, that means I don't want it to open in a new tab or window.
- pdenya 15y agotarget="_blank" may or may not be a minor annoyance to some users. I've personally never gotten a complaint about it on any sites i've built/run. Just like every other tool it has it's uses. The standard way I've been seeing it used is to open links to new sites in new windows/tabs and open links that keep the user on your site in the same window/tab. I don't see anything wrong with continuing to use it.