Re: Why authors are using Transitional (and target="_blank")

On 21/02/2008, Boris Zbarsky <bzbarsky@mit.edu> wrote:
>
>
> Philip TAYLOR wrote:
> > The decision as to whether to open in the same
> > window, the same window but a new tab, or in
> > a new window, should be the user's and the user's
> > alone.  The document can offer guidance (such as
> > "best opened in a new window"), but should not
> > enforce that behaviour.

For what it's worth, Gecko treats target="_blank" as exactly such a
> hint.  There is a user preference for where to actually target the load.
> -Boris
>

So in this case, the user agent allows the user to override link targets by
right-clicking and choosing from a menu. Gecko is just providing the
counterpart command to Right-click > Open in new window . I think this is
fair enough and might answer Philip Taylor's concerns. So a link with no
target specified will open in the same window if it's left-clicked. A link
with target="_blank" will open in a new window/tab when it's left-clicked.
But right-clicking on either will give the user the choice to open in the
same window, or a new window or tab.

Perhaps the HTML5 spec should, in addition to retaining target="_blank",
require this behaviour of user agents.

Sam