4 ms·

I also find forcing a new window/tab annoying and it makes sense not to when you're targeting a technical audience. However, I've just as often heard complaints

by spicyj 13y ago

I also find forcing a new window/tab annoying and it makes sense not to when you're targeting a technical audience. However, I've just as often heard complaints from less-technical users who don't reflexively cmd/ctrl-click on links and for whom opening new windows in tabs is a feature, so even though forcing a new window can be annoying it's often a decision made to improve UX.

SnowLprd 13y ago
That's what the Back button is for. Less-technical users don't need to know how to cmd/ctrl-click on links because even less-technical users know how to use the Back button. If they don't want to use the Back button and instead want to open links in new tabs, there are multiple mechanisms available to them (whether they know about them or not). The reverse is not true: if you don't want to open a link in a new tab, but that behavior is being forced on you, there is no way to avoid it. Regardless of the motive, this behavior is not a UX improvement.
- andybak 13y ago
  In fact - opening a new tab BREAKS the back button. I've seen my father baffled when a new tab opened and he can't work out how to get back. (his tab bar has 300 open tabs as he never closes them). So - opening in a new tab is a disaster for non-technical users and an annoyance for technical ones. There might be some middle-ground where it's a good idea but I wouldn't bank on it.
  - NoodleIncident 13y ago
    Here's what I want to know: When you open a new tab in Dolphin browser for Android, pressing the back button deletes it. Why shouldn't this be the default behavior for desktop browsers?
  - jessaustin 13y ago
    I can confirm that many users of my father's generation (including him) are completely baffled by tabs. My grandfather, however, seems to have no problem. I don't know if that means anything.

4 ms·

I also find forcing a new window/tab annoying and it makes sense not to when you're targeting a technical audience. However, I've just as often heard complaints

by spicyj 13y ago

SnowLprd 13y ago
That's what the Back button is for. Less-technical users don't need to know how to cmd/ctrl-click on links because even less-technical users know how to use the Back button. If they don't want to use the Back button and instead want to open links in new tabs, there are multiple mechanisms available to them (whether they know about them or not). The reverse is not true: if you don't want to open a link in a new tab, but that behavior is being forced on you, there is no way to avoid it. Regardless of the motive, this behavior is not a UX improvement.
- andybak 13y ago
  In fact - opening a new tab BREAKS the back button. I've seen my father baffled when a new tab opened and he can't work out how to get back. (his tab bar has 300 open tabs as he never closes them). So - opening in a new tab is a disaster for non-technical users and an annoyance for technical ones. There might be some middle-ground where it's a good idea but I wouldn't bank on it.
  - NoodleIncident 13y ago
    Here's what I want to know: When you open a new tab in Dolphin browser for Android, pressing the back button deletes it. Why shouldn't this be the default behavior for desktop browsers?
  - jessaustin 13y ago
    I can confirm that many users of my father's generation (including him) are completely baffled by tabs. My grandfather, however, seems to have no problem. I don't know if that means anything.