Comments on: Web 101: Why links shouldn’t be opened in new windows

By: Andante

Andante — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:44:06 +0000

I have seen several discussions about this, and I side with the folks who think internal links should not open in a new window, but external ones should. The fact that the WordPress 2.7 fancy image link ‘feature’ no longer offers this option is outrageous.

I have been teaching a horde of average users at a local library for the past 10 years. Nothing will confuse them more than an external link taking them somewhere else, where they get lost in a pile of screens. It will NEVER occur to them that if they hit the back button 10 times they will return to the original site.
So I disagree with the whole premise of this article. I would assert that experienced users will NOT be thrown by a link opening a new window, whereby the un-savvy surfer most definitely will!

By: Matt

Matt — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:31:27 +0000

I’m like muralimanohar, I’d rather have the links open in a new window. Dual monitors are becoming more prevelant now and I like to have the referring page as well as the referred page open at the same time on different monitors so I can see both pages at once.

By: muralimanohar

muralimanohar — Sun, 04 May 2008 07:18:04 +0000

I must be the only person in the world hugely irritated by links that don’t open in a new window, then. I HATE clicking a link, finding a place I want to explore in more detail later, and then having to click back and reopen in a new window. If it automatically opens in a new window, I get to leave it if I want to, or shut it and it’s gone, and the page I was on before, that I wasn’t finished with, remains completely undisturbed (as opposed to when sometimes my browser continually restarts my originating point on the page.)

Of course, I am sure most people are irritated by having 20+ tabs open at the same time, as I have. :p

By: Ianternet

Ianternet — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:48:20 +0000

I had this issue before too – I have actually in the past put external links in a frame which is far better – since it leaves your site but it leaves a small link to go back just in case they want too

I just find opening a link in a new window is just annoying

By: Haven Rich

Haven Rich — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 11:46:52 +0000

I always right-click links into a new window. Typically because I’m curious what the new link has to offer and don’t wish to forget about it, but I still want to take a bit of time exploring the page I was on.

Thanks for the information. I hadn’t considered that pov before.

By: PHAT Mommy

PHAT Mommy — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 03:31:11 +0000

You make a good argument here. I have always forced links to a new window, but I’m going to be changing that practice now.