RE: No "target" allowed

It is true that most of the browsers provide a way to open links in new
window / tab and I agree that is a good feature.


However I have learned to avoid using that since quite often it will result
as a javascript error. That ofcourse is not a good web design but it is
unfortunately common. 'bad' coding can therefore cause users to avoid
features that are initially meant to be usable and provide the control to
the user.

So sometimes we may have to make a tradeof between learned behaviour of most
users and the 'best way to do it'. Unfortunately.

However I think that your opinion has a solid base for it.

Best Regards:
	Aapo Romu

-----Original Message-----
From: www-validator-request@w3.org
[mailto:www-validator-request@w3.org]On Behalf Of Pete Prodoehl
Sent: 28. toukokuuta 2004 19:17
To: Www-Validator
Subject: Re: No "target" allowed



Aapo Romu wrote:
> Bernhard Kraft wrote:
>
>>David Dorward wrote:
>
>
>>>Unfortunately I have lost the reference, but I recently saw a report
>>>written after observing users testing a website. Some links opened new
>>>windows to Amazon.com - this caused a significant number of users great
>>>difficulty because the back button was greyed out.
>
>
> See "The Top Ten New Mistakes of Web Design"
>
>    http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990530.html
>
> 1. Breaking or Slowing Down the Back Button
> 2. Opening New Browser Windows
>
> (Violating the first two...)

>>So some usability studies returned a result for a long question of mine.
>>If I really should open links to external pages in a new window ...
>>I personally never had a decision on this but my boss wants me to make
>>links like this, so "our" website stays open.
>
>
> If your boss thinks this will keep people on your site he is sadly
> mistaken... They way to keep people on your site, and get them to
> return, is to provide something of value to the user, not through
> trickery or poor usability.


 > I often surf the web in the manner that I find few good pages
 > linking to ie.
 > different manufacturers with appropriate search engine. Because
 > in that case
 > I'm mainly looking for good link sites I prefer that those links
 > are opened
 > in new window so that I get back quickly to the link site when
 > I'm done with the target.
 >
 > So my personal opinion is that the technique is good when used in
 > appropriate situations.
 >
 > Of course as with any technique you can make the usability a horror
if > you use it unwisely.


The technique is fine, the issue is, the behavior (choosing to open new
windows, tabs, etc.) should be in control of the *user* not the author
of the page. For the last 4 or 5 years, graphical web browsers have
allowed people to open links in a new window or tab. The feature is
there, you don't have to build it into your pages. Give the user the choice.

With modern browsers you can even override the opening of new windows to
never happen, or always happen in a tab, etc. (Firefox + TabBrowser
Extension is quite nice!)


Pete

Received on Friday, 28 May 2004 12:33:11 UTC