Curious

I asked you which browser you used and how my blog looked. You delivered. Thank you. It seems as if IE is the culprit, but it also seems to be a recent thing. Heimo had a good suggestion: that I check my sidebar content to see if something I added changed the balance in the matrix. That's something I meant to do today, and then...didn't. The most recent thing I've put in my sidebar is the Ad-Free Blog button. I'll have to mess around in Typepad, and possibly call in a Help Ticket. As I've said to some commenters, I only have the Plus version of Typepad, which means I have no access to the CSS. Sorry. I still maintain that my readers who use IE (at home, not at work) should install Firefox, just on general principles. (Can you see me sticking my tongue out? Good.)

Okay, so. I have another question for you. I want to know what you prefer when you click on a link. Do you want the link to open in a new window (as is practice here at AliThinks), or do you want the link to open in the same window?  Please keep in mind that no matter what your answers, this is one thing I will not alter on my blog (there's that tongue again).

I'm curious, because in my post for Basic Juice, I followed Beau's protocol for links. It was weird to not add the target="_blank" bit of code that I add to every link here.

Maybe I'm alone in pondering this stuff. What do you prefer, a link that takes over the page you're looking at, or a link that opens a new window? Alison wants to know.

Edit: CJ told me that on her blog, she has links open in a new window. If you do it, too, I want to know.

Comments

[Carrie]

I didn't know your links opened in a new window :) I automatically right click and choose "open in new window" all over the net. That's what I prefer. But I don't find many pages are coded that way. And that's just do to my browsing habits possibly.

p.s. I love tabbed Firefox! The only beef I have is that recently, YouTube and other embedded video is not working again. I got an update from Firefox and the problem started shortly after that was installed. The Firefox message board for users had quite a few lamenting the same problem. That's the only beef I have about it.

[Carrie]

Ugh..."due" not "do". Cripes, I should go to bed. My brain is fried.

[Sarah]

I like it when links open in a new window. Then I don't have to click back to finish reading your page.

[cj]

Hey Ali. I have tabbed browsing so I click on links and they open in another tab. On my own blog I have it so it opens in another window. :)

[Margaret]

I don't know what my links do since I do them in typepad. Ouch, I am ignorant. I also don't know which I prefer. As long as I can navigate back to the original page, I'm OK.

[kklink]

I prefer links that open in a new window, or a new tab. That way whatever it is I'm reading doesn't get interrupted, but I can go take a more detailed look at the link afterwards if I want to.

[Pauline]

I prefer it to open in a new window, it's simpler that way for the reader.

Just to let you know I am currently using IE ( I am at work so can't change it, I am probbaly not the only one in this position and it's something to keep in mind from a readers/quality point of view)

Up until recently the right hand margin was at the bottom, but you must have done something, as today it is up top where it should be.

[Neil]

Geek conversation alert!

I like when the link takes over the page. I don't like having to close a window after I'm done with it. However in Firefox, I've gotten used to opening up a new link in a new tab. But I do that myself, rather than it being controlled by you, the author. The less decisions you make on how things are going to work, the better for me. I like to have control of my own browsing experience.

[Jen]

In my job as a web designer, I follow this general rule - if you are linking to something within your site, you open in the same window, and if it goes to another site, it's a new window. There are exceptions, but that's the general idea. Don't want users to lose where they were on your site when they go off looking at someone else's . . . that especially applies for a business . .

[ally bean]

makes no difference to me. just do what you like-- but keep on writing each day.

i'm more of a content person than style person, I guess.

[Monty]

My most serious comment, as an ex professional software developer, but as a non blog writer, is that I should not be participating in this discussion because I do not write a blog. This is an issue that you all must deal with. The software developers want to know what you think. Please, let them know.

[Thomas]

Don't go changin' to try to please me...

I guess I'm saying that I love you just the way you are. ;)

[cmhl]

links open in a new window is my vote--- that way you don't lose your place on the page you are on...

[ms. sizzle]

i like when it goes to a new page. i haven't gotten around to doing that on my page.

[Catheroo]

I prefer opening links in a new page, and I do that for links on my blog as well. Because what if people forget to come back? The horror!!

Plus, with Firefox, opening a new window opens a new TAB for me, and I love seeing all the pretty-colored tabs, and what's there for me to read, rather than having a bajillion windows open and hidden under one another.

I don't want to name names, but certain browsers offered to us Internet Expolorer(s) don't have pretty tabs (also sticking tongue out).

[Karan]

I like links to open in a new window because I usually want to return to the site of origin to finish reading whatever.

On my own site, I have external links opening a new window and internal links staying within the same window (you know sans the target="blank" tag.

[Karan]

)

[meredith]

I much prefer the links that open a new window.

[Lily Bleu]

I prefer when they open in a new window. I do not have this in my own blog, because I am horrible at coding. I intend to fix this in the future, though.

[mags]

DEFINITELY prefer links to open a new window (or a new tab - but I haven't been to a site yet that does that). I'm generally in the habit of right-clicking on links and selecting "Open Link in New Tab", because it drives me nuts when clicking replaces the current page. Gah!!!

On my site, all links open to a new window (although I didn't know about target="_blank" - I always do target="new").

~mags

[Aly]

I really like that your links open in a new window. I stick my tongue out at all those who use one window for everything! It's annoying, 'cause I go to close it and I lose everything. And no, I will NOT pay more attention! (:
I hope you keep it the way it is.

[Heather]

New window, definitely. I'm usually not done reading the original.

[Daisy]

Before I start I should say that I have a slight preference for not opening a new window opening but here's what the experts say :-)

Usability guru Jakob Nielsen says:

Opening up new browser windows is like a vacuum cleaner sales person who starts a visit by emptying an ash tray on the customer's carpet. Don't pollute my screen with any more windows, thanks (particularly since current operating systems have miserable window management). If I want a new window, I will open it myself!

Designers open new browser windows on the theory that it keeps users on their site. But even disregarding the user-hostile message implied in taking over the user's machine, the strategy is self-defeating since it disables the Back button which is the normal way users return to previous sites. Users often don't notice that a new window has opened, especially if they are using a small monitor where the windows are maximized to fill up the screen. So a user who tries to return to the origin will be confused by a grayed out Back button.

----------
Don't give a fig what Nielsen says? How about accessibility issues:

- Mark Pilgrim's Dive Into Accessibility, 30 days to a more accessible web site
- SitePoint article
- lots more on Google
----------

Your content is more than good enough to keep folks reading, don't worry about "losing" us!

[Daisy]

...and if we're talking about accessibility issues, don't get me started on Capcha - TypePad really needs to address this issue.

[Pumpkin]

I like it to open in a new window and I prefer when others do it that way too. I, sometimes, will surf from one blog to the next. When I'm done I don't have worry about going back to where I started...the window is still open. I just close what I don't want open and keep what I am interested in or using open. Much easier than trying to track back from one website to another.