Is it taboo to force browser window size for site?

[Icarion]

I was wondering if it was taboo to
cause someones browser window to stay
at a certain height and length so that my site
is viewed the way it should be...?

[Fotiman]

Yes, forcing a window size is a no-no. For one thing, you don't know what the user's font settings will be. For example, if I have my text size set at some really large size but the window isn't wide enough to display it, I may have to scroll to see it. Don't try to take over the end-user's browser... they should have the control to view whatever size window they want, and if you take that control away you'll only make them angry.

[surrealillusions]

Agreed, whenever a website forces the window to change size (namely bigger to full screen), then i will usually always close the site immediatly after resizing my browser back to normal.

:)

[londrum]

people will just think it is a pop-up and close it without even waiting for your content to load

[LunaC]

I have my browser set to not allow a site to change the size of the window. Before I added that setting, if any site did do that I would immediately leave and make sure I never visited again.

Browser window size is the choice of the visitor, not the website. Making the website content flexible to fit no matter what the browser size is your best bet.

[JAB Creations]

It depends, are they using a minimal view port resolution? If their screen resolution is 1280x1024 though their viewing area is only 400x250 it would be acceptable to resize the browser window to achieve an acceptable resolution for the view port to display your site.

However I would recommend having an acceptably low view port resolution requirement for this. For example my site will work at 800x600 or greater. For example my site's minimally acceptable view port resolution is roughly 740x280. Mobile devices of course emulate resolutions and use other tricks to display pages better so it's important to keep mobile device support in mind.

- John

[vol7ron]

If your site is viewed differently by using a bigger browser, then your site is programmed poorly. However, if you're trying to use a modeless window, then maybe.

Otherwise, don't do it. It is a nuisance as stated. I put it in the same category with untrusted sites and spammers. Not that you are doing anything bad, just the fact that it is annoying and I don't want to have to deal with it, as a viewer.

[phranque]

any site that screws with my window size gets a big black mark and a few choice epithets.
if window size is that important, then pop up a new window and take your chances with that instead if annoying or even enraging your visitors.

[ergophobe]

I forget about this - after being annoyed one time too many, I just set up Firefox to prevent scripts from forcing window size. Before that, I always took it as a mark of an amateur.

[D_Blackwell]

On our event calendar we had a link to a site that resized the window for anyone that didn't block such things. I inserted a prominent note to our users stating that this would occur when they went to the site so that they would be aware of this irritation. (It was part of what I thought was a heavy handed stats program; though I didn't mention that.) It didn't take long for the offending webmaster to get complaints, remove the script, and DEMAND the we drop our text about the script immediately. I did - plus all of the extra descriptive text about their event; information that was more valuable to them than to us. That calendar page does very well for us, for the events with which we are associated, and ranks nicely; better than it even deserves. But Google loves to come by and scoop up all the new stuff; and it's always kept totally current, for which I've always thought that we get a lot of extra points. Stripping down that link to bleached bones was still sufficient for us, but a whole lot less useful for them. Whenever possible, I don't just post links; but tie content all around them. I despise links without context; especially when there are a number of them. They don't help anyone. 'Link lists' make me crazy. <Off topic and stopping:)) />

[fside]

> viewed the way it should be <

I'd assume you mean larger, probably for large photographs of something?

I like to leave a note that the site is best at 1280+ width if there are photos and such. You have no control. If you try to control it, remember iphones and cells, and such. You don't know who is trying to view, with what. If you try to fix a window size, other settings could override it anyway and just open full size in a new tab, depending.

Don't even mess with it. If you want 'picture-in-picture' stuff, or little panels or boxes, then I'd use those, not popup windows.

[vincevincevince]

If their screen resolution is 1280x1024 though their viewing area is only 400x250 it would be acceptable ...

I'm not sure I agree. If I have made my browser small, it is because I want my browser small. If I can't get around your site with 400x250 then I'll increase it - myself - to the size I want.

The most that I'd consider acceptable is a javascript-driven and unobtrusive notification with offer to resize - i.e. a small DIV positioned in the BL of my browser saying 'Enlarge Browser Window'.

[DrDoc]

Exactly. Don't you dare mess with my browser, or I will be sure never to return (and, possibly mess with you if that's an option).

If I can't read it, I'll resize my browser myself.

There's a reason why I have my browser set to a certain size, and I like it that way.

[edited by: DrDoc at 5:51 am (utc) on Mar. 15, 2008]