As you read blogs or news or pretty much anything on the web, invariably you are offered links. These days, it is usually a word or phrase that is a different color and obviously clickable. We do it here many times. I have a question though that I need to ask you as a reader. I’m more looking for opinion from a reader perspective, so if you are a blogger, tell me what you prefer when you read the web.
When an author creates a link, they have the ability to manage how that link acts. In my scenario, there are two option – open the link in same browser window or open the link in a new browser window. Here on OurPDX, I usually have my links configured to open new windows, but I see others have the link open in the same window. As a reader, what is your preference?
As a followup, do you want to have an idea where that link is going before you click on it? For example, I have seen some websites adopt a formality of pointing out a link goes to MySpace by putting [MS] after the keyword and as part of the link. I have seen this example also for paid content links. Again, what as a reader is your preference?
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As a habit, I always middle click (or ctrl+click) on links so they’ll open in a new tab, I never like to have the originating site be replaced by the link destination. Mostly because I click on links while still reading the post/article, so having it be replaced is not smart.
I, Like you, and I’m sure most others, post links with about=”_blank” just out of courtesy for those readers who aren’t wired to always open links in new windows/tabs. It’s _very_ important to open links in new windows/tabs if the originating site is very heavy with javascript, etc, in the first place (consider links from a Google Maps API site, Google Reader.) You don’t want them to have to reload a website that took time to render in the first place.
Regarding URL generation, I prefer having a title snippet in the URL rather than a number or any other form of shortening.
There are a LOT of URL shortening services out there now and have been getting attention recently due to the microblogging trend. The problem with that is I would imagine that most people would like to know what website they’re going to end up at as well as maybe what the post is about. An old, and perhaps one of the original URL shortening services (and a decent API, I might add) is http://xrl.us/. When you have it shorten a URL even from the web frontend, it will have an option to post the URL with the domain in parenthesis… Kind of the style you mentioned.
xrl.us (which is truly a _short_ URL) does have reverse lookups on links, so you can see where you’re destination is. Tinyurl.com, probably by far the most popular these days, does have the same feature. Just add the subdomain ‘preview’ to the tinyurl link, eg, http://preview.tinyurl.com/53tra6
Definitely in the same window. It’s easy enough to open a page in a new window/tab if I want it there, but I’d much rather not have 20 browser windows scattered around my desktop
No shortening service. Same window.
That’s my opinion on what I’d like to see for the masses. Me? I’ve got my browser configured based on my preferences so it won’t matter which target is set.
If I had to choose a preference it’d be to open in the same window because then I can choose to right-click and open in a new tab or a new window, or I can left-click and open it in the same window. Snap previews on links are starting to bug me. (Not that you asked, but as long as we’re talking links….) At first I thought they were cool, but they kind of just get in the way.
I prefer opening to a new tab, and like Jason I usually right-click/command-click links as I read. In fact, I have my browser set to stay in the original window after clicking, so I usually just read all of the things I clicked on after I finish the original article or blog post.
So, technically I guess I prefer opening to a new window, but I’m willing to do the work myself.
The code calls for a new window but modern browsers catch it and open a new tab instead. So when I said “new window”, it’s “new tab” in the same window, a new window is just what the HTML calls. I prefer not to have the current _tab_ replaced with the link destination.
New Window.
I’d rather have a link open in a new window/tab so I don’t lose track of the original thing I was reading before I started off on a tangent. (Yes, I’m perhaps too susceptible to tangents) As mentioned by several other people, I usually do this work myself.
Also not thrilled with Snap previews.
Same window. I can right-click if I want to open in a new tab.
Plus, the back button is the second most frequently used feature of a browser next to clicking on a link. If you open a new window, you break that feature for the user. They can’t hit the back button to return.
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