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Neil Winchurst wrote: > On Fri, 04 May 2007 08:26:04 +0100 > Simon Williams <simon@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: > >> Neil Williams wrote: >>> Have you considered that visitors to your site might not want to have 5 >>> tabs just from your one site? This is why tabs are not directly under >>> the control of the website - they are a *user* feature and should not >>> be abused in this way. >>> >>> Just because you can does NOT mean you should. This 5 tab approach might >>> look cool to you now will look tacky and amatuerish to many. >> I second that. Also, when coding pages, do not think about tabs. If the >> link is not suitable for opening in a new window then it's not suitable >> for opening in a new tab. Tabs = windows as far as the web designer is >> concerned, since all browsers handle it themselves. Do not use >> javascript or java or any other code to force it to open in a new tab >> rather than a new window- that is the users option not yours. >> >> Simon >> > Thanks to you both, always ready to learn and to take advice. > > I have set up my own index file to my website. It includes several > links to other sites that I have set up including a photo gallery, a > photo blog and an ordinary blog. I tested this out, of course, and this > is what I found. These links definitely do not look like they qualify for new windows. See below. > As originally set up (that is without any "target=" included) if I > opened up one of the links from my home page it would *replace* my home > page on the screen. That is to say, the home page disappeared and the > new URL screen took its place, in the original tab. I could look at the > new page (perhaps the photos in my photoblog), but when I wanted to go > back to the home page, if I closed the tab it simply left me with a > blank screen. And so it should. > When I included the target="new" in the link, that changed. Now when I > open my home page for my web site and then click on one of the links > that URL will open in a new tab. I can then look through the photos or > whatever and when I want to go back to the home page I just have to > close the new tab and I am back to my index page again. > > That is why I asked the question in the first place. I have added the > target= bit on all of the links, not because I expect anyone to open > several at once, but so that, whichever link is opened, it will be in a > new tab and it will be easy to return to the home page. No no no no NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never, ever, open a link in a new window unless it is something that directly refers to the original page and will be used alongside it. Acceptable uses include: 1. A short further explanation of something used in the page. 2. A reference guide when filling out a form. Though the first one is highly questionable. If making a new window isn't absolutely necessary then don't. So unless your page has a form on it and the links are to help your visitor fill out, you almost certainly should not be opening new windows. If the link is to something not closely related to the current page then it should not be in a new window. Generally, if there is any chance that the user will click another link in the page you are linking to then you must assume they will not be coming back. If they do intend to come back then they will right click and select open in new window or new tab as they choose. If however, you open the page in a new window and they didn't want to come back, then they have to close the old one manually which will annoy them as they were expecting it to open in the current window. Personally I find that sort of website even more annoying then those littered with popups, since firefox will block the ones I didn't directly ask for, but because I clicked your link I asked for it- so I get a new tab/window. > I hope that is a better explanation of my reasoning. If either or both > of you feel that is still a bad way to go I am very happy to take > advice. Hopefully this will help you to avoid annoying your visitors. Simon -- The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG http://mailman.dclug.org.uk/listinfo/list FAQ: http://www.dcglug.org.uk/linux_adm/list-faq.html