There is a lively post over on ProBlogger right now, asking blog readers whether links should open in a new window.
The question is this: if you click on a link here on Family Travel, would you prefer to have a new window pop up that takes you to the link’s URL, or would you prefer to stay in the same window and then back-click to return to the original Family Travel post with the link in it? As an example, the ProBlogger link above opens in the same window, and the link to the “whether links should open….” permalink opens in a new window.
Apparently a lot of people really, really HATE it when a new window opens, to the extent that they actually leave the offending site that doesn’t open windows the way that they prefer.
Here’s what I wrote in comment #63 to the ProBlogger post:
“Wow, I’m with Barbara up in Comment 7, in that I get off on Internet exploration tangents and prefer to have a new window open and come back to the original site later, since otherwise I’d be “back-buttoning” for eternity. So, I open into a new window on my blog because I thought that was easiest for everyone. No nefarious intentions at all.
I had no idea that this annoys people so much, and am somewhat puzzled by what you accomplish when you get miffed about new windows and never return to that naughty site. Why not leave a comment for the blog author; maybe they’re like me and had no idea that it gets people in such a twist.
I know life’s short and we’re all busy, but don’t be passive-aggressive. Give straightforward feedback.
This has inspired me to ask my readers what they’d like — thanks so much for the food for thought, Darren.”
So here’s my question, faithful readers — which do you prefer, and why?
I can go either direction when I draft a post and put in a link – open in a new window or open in the same window – but I want to make this site user-friendly and welcoming to the readers, not write it only to satisfy my own preferences regarding the “right” way to set up a post.
Thanks very much for your feedback in the comments.
Technorati tags: travel, family travel, blogging
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I prefer links that open a new window, and I manually force all my blog links to do that.
I think people don’t, in fact, come back once they go off in another direction.
Content keeps people coming, distraction takes them away.
If they get pissed up and don’t come back, they don’t like your content enough and there’s nothing you can do about it.
I, too, prefer links that open in a new window. If I don’t like what I see, a quick keystroke closes it and I’m right back where I was. This is the way we’ve set up our Texas Highways website, and it’s the way I’ll set up my personal website one day in the not-too-distant future.
And, yes, good content is what brings visitors back. …
I am not that fussed about it, but to prefer the website does not open a new window. Then when I want to go off at a tangent I open the page in a new tab as I use firefox.
Do you know your pictures do not appear in the correct place in Firefox. It also messes up the comment form when you have a picture, making it difficult to work out where to put the comment.
Open in a new window works best for me. I’m not that particular about it but, given a choice, I would like a new window – this helps a lot in Firefox where I can scan the tabs to see where I’ve been and decide what to do next. I too get off on tangents especially when exploring or researching a topic with many selections to read. This helps keep me organized and I can refer back and forth too. Thanks for asking.
Hi Snarky, Mike, Paul and Jeff,
Thanks so much for your comments; sorry for the delay in responding but I’m in central TX where all the rain is falling and my Internet access is cutting in and out.
I’ll keep looking for comments, but for now I think I’ll just keep opening in a new window.
Paul, sorry about the Firefox problem; I did not know that. I’ll let the BootnAll folks know and see if there’s a correction.
problogger did a great study on it and I find it that the data is real close to each other
I personally do not like opening links in a new window, if I get redirected I get redirected because I wanted to, the new windows are annoying, even FF think so as well with their integrated popup blocker
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