I surf the web a lot, and I have developed some habits that help me when I do. As I put together pages for my own site, I keep those in mind. I create pages in a way that I think would be the way I’d want to see them if I were to surf in to my site.
I set up my links such that if they go to other pages on my site, they open in the same browser window. If they go to another site, they open in a new window. That way, no matter what, you still have a window open on my site and can get back to it easily. I do this because I find it frustrating to have to use the back button more than three or so times to get back to the site where I originally started.
I have had some complaints about it in the past, but very few. But then I read this blog, which says I am losing readers because of this practice. I have learned over the years that advice given about blogs from bloggers is almost guaranteed to be wrong, because– let’s face it – very few people have any clue what they’re talking about. They like to sound important, I suppose, and so they talk at length about stuff and just make it up as they go (try listening to Sunday morning news programs if you don’t believe me).
Anyway, I figure I have nothing to lose by asking you, the BABloggers (I guess in fact you are the BABloggees), what you think. Should external links open a new browser window, or should they stay in the same window? Comment away.
Oh– the link above opens a new window. Of course.
