External Links Coding

@patdavid

Hi Pat, I know I am only a new member here, but wouldn’t it be better if external links opened in a new tab/window?

Currently, if you follow an external link and then don’t remember to “Back” in the browser, and just close the tab, you have lost the original pixels.us topic.

When I dabbled in website creation in the 80’s/90’s it was standard practice to open external links in a new page keeping the existing page open to go back to so the user didn’t actually lose the original site page.

Or, is this intentional and I’m just out of date with my thinking?

BTW I’m loving this site and all the very knowledgeable people on it, thanks for providing the platform.

Rgds.

Les.

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Hi @savvy!

From a web accessibility standpoint it’s best practice to not open in new windows/tabs by default - as it’s visually disorienting and breaks the flow of the user session (you can’t go back to the originating page from a new window/tab for instance).

This is all really rendered moot by most system suing a middle-click on a link as a means for opening them in new windows/tabs. :slight_smile:

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Hi @patdavid,

Thanks for the reply.

I guess I’m still stuck in the old days with my thinking then :smile:

I’ve just got used to links opening in a new tab and then being able to close it to have the original page still there.

I’ll get used to this “new” thinking eventually. At 60+ you get a bit set in your ways and changes to your MO take a while to become embedded. I’ll get there.

Cheers.

Les.

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Ah, the good ole days when it was considered a matter of politeness and self-promotion to not destroy ones website window on the readers computer the reader clicks thru a link. Since the early nineties I’ve gotten used to right-clicking links to open a menu of options, which in the end is empowering to the reader. Honestly these days I’m surprised whenever a new window opens when clicking hyperlinks.

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I am of the new tab camp as well but I am fine with the Ctrl + Click solution. However, this doesn’t work when I try to go to the last reply of a thread.

I cannot create a new tab from 6:37 pm.

I believe that that’s because it’s not actually a link.

I know and that irks me because I would like to open threads in a new tab.

Why not open them in new tabs starting at the main page?

I figured out how to go directly to the last post of a thread, or in this case, open it in a new tab. Above, I used the Replies column but 6:37 pm isn’t a link per se. Fortunately, those under the Activity column are.

I guess I’m a member of the curmudgeons group as well. I have often thought of starting this very thread as well. :}

@patdavid has explained the default and why, but let me mention that in this forum software you can change your personal settings from the preferences.

  1. Click your user icon in the upper right.
  2. Click the :gear: gear icon for your Preferences page
  3. Go to the “Interface” section
  4. Select “Open all external links in a new tab”
  5. Click “Save Changes”
  6. Bob’s your uncle.
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@Conic Many thanks for that. This old, set in his ways, codger still prefers that MO. I’ve made the change. Thanks again.

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Thanks @Conic. I never thought of looking in the preferences for a setting to control this behavior.

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No, it wouldn’t be better if that was forced. Scientists in silicon valley have invented the middle mouse button just for that. I absolutely vehemently despise websites which do target="_blank" thereby preventing me from being in control over where the link opens.

LOL I absolutely vehemently despise trying to use the wheel of a mouse as a middle button. It takes so much care to make it act as a button instead of a wheel that it is much faster (at least for me) to right click and select open in new tab from the context menu than to get a click behavior from the wheel/middle button.

Thankfully, the preference setting for this site allows everyone to make their own choice regarding whether external links open in a new tab, so nobody should be encumbered by a behavior they don’t like!

Despise the implementation - get a better (not more expensive) mouse :]

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You can also Ctrl + left mouse click to open a new tab. Useful when you’re forced to trackpad.

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