Page opens in new window (regular windows)

What are your thoughts on this?

[Visit Thailand]

Let's say you have a page with something like moreover news on it. That page then is a little like a menu of news. Do you prefer to have each news article open in a new (regular not Java or anything) window or would you prefer that it opens in the existing window and you would just use the back button to return to the news menu page?

[Purple Martin]

I prefer navigation within the same site to stay within the same window. I prefer links to other sites to open them in new windows. So basically as I surf around multiple sites there will be one window per site, which is perfect for my alt-tab habits.

I don't like it when a site opens new windows for pages within the same site (even if they are news articles). The exception is for links to other threads within a forum site (such as this one) - in this case, I'm expecting the new thread to open in another window so that I don't lose where I am in the current thread.

<edited typo>

[dingman]

I don't like sites deciding that I want a new window. If I wanted it to open in a new window, then I would middle-click (or shift-click, or option-click, or right-click->open-in-new-window.). If I left-single click and get a new window, you've just confused me and probably irked me.

[Visit Thailand]

Thanks all.

So I take it everyone feels like this?

Does anyone like new windows?

[deejay]

Sure... I like 'em, but for very set purposes:

1 Going to an external site.

2 Enlargements of photos

3 Small bites of supplementary information (definitions for example) that don't strictly fit within the flow of the parent page, but that I would read and then return to the parent page - I don't expect to see further links on that new window.

Daisy chains really tick me off. :)

[vbull]

I actually hate it when websites open external links in the same window. I agree that all external links should open in a new window, but make sure your page titles are good so users can keep track from their toolbar (eg first 6 letters of title should identify your site)

[indiechild]

I think it's generally better to make all links (internal or external) appear in the same window. I think it's not good to open a new window -- give control to the user. If the user wants to open the link in a new window, it's a simple matter of shift-clicking, or middle-mouse button clicking, etc.

It's a lot harder to suppress a new window which automatically pops up. Believe me, there have been times when I've had 10-15 MSIE browser windows open, and it's bloody annoying when the site I'm browsing decides that it wants to open a new window for every external link I investigate!

A nice little tidbit: tack a little "URL arrow" image to the end of an external link, that way users can more readily notice which is an external link and which isn't. But really, users should be able to see that for themselves in any case just by looking at the status bar on mouseover.

[Jo_Bennett]

I'm generally against opening new windows. The big problem is useability - remember that we're not typical users. A frightening number of users don't understand multiple windows (they close their browser to send an e-mail) and won't even notice if a new window has opened. But nearly every user, even complete newbies, understands the back button. Open a new window and you've broken the back button.

And of course there are accessibility issues too. Users with impaired vision who may have special browsers can get completely thrown by new windows.

If you add in the fact that more advanced users (like us) have figured out how to open a page in a new window then there isn't really any need to do it in general web sites.

[Visit Thailand]

Thanks to all for your feedback, I will take your advice and change this one page to open in the same window and see how it goes.

Originally I had thought it would be easier for users as they can see a list of articles click, read them in that new window close it and they are still at the article menu.