« Return to Thread: Should external links really open in the same window?

Re: Should external links really open in the same window?

by Jeff Gimzek :: Rate this Message:

On Jul 9, 2008, at 1:08 PM, Jens Meiert wrote:

>> Trevor wrote:
>>
>> The conventional wisdom is that a link should not open a new
>> window, even if it's a link to another site. Neilsen listed this as
>> number 9 in the top 10 design mistakes.
>>
>> But an unofficial survey around our office found that most people
>> prefer links to new sites to open up in new windows/tabs. They
>> said that new windows or tabs make it easier to explore links to
>> other, possibly- irrelevant, but possibly-useful sites, and still
>> come quickly back to the main site at any time, exactly where you
>> left it. Some people said they *expect* sites to behave that way.
>>
>> Should the rule that links should always open in the same window be
>> revisited? Does anyone know of any real study or data that relates
>> to this?
>>
> Going for the very short answer: No, as this choice should be left to
> the user. Talking studies I do not know any that does not verify what
> Nielsen suggested in another article, namely only to open new windows
> for non-web documents [1] (albeit there might be other, rare
> exceptions […]).
>
>
> [1] http://www.useit.com/alertbox/open_new_windows.html

As with many questions on this list, I dont feel there is a hard and
fast rule, but that context and user base plays an important part as
to wether the new window function is appropriate.

I personally always open external links in a new tab by right/command
clicking. I think that if the link is to an external site - ie: not
within the main site the user is browsing - that this functionality is
preferable.

In fact, I wish google searches would do it without my having to right
click, as each time I don't right-click, I lose my search results.

I think the tab feature of modern browsers trumps all the reasons
listed on the above link for not creating a new window/tab

It may be helpful to indicate a new window is going to open with a
little icon, or to make sure the window size is smaller than the one
below it, but the newbie mistake of losing your window is mainly a
Windoze problem. This problem can also be addressed the way About and
Google Images does by having a top frame that allow one to return to
the previous window, or if it an internal page that needs a new
window, bread-crumbing or having an internal [X close] link.

jd

--

Jeff Gimzek | Senior User Experience Designer

jeffreygimzek@... | www.springstudio.com

________________________________________________________________
Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)!
To post to this list ....... discuss@...
Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe
List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines
List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help

« Return to Thread: Should external links really open in the same window?