Target = Blank vs Top

[bPstyles]

Is there any difference between using _blank and _top when you want a link
to open in a new window?

Thanks.

 

[Barbara de Zoete]

Op Sat, 23 Oct 2004 19:28:19 -0400, schreef bPstyles

Is there any difference between using _blank and _top when you want a
link
to open in a new window?

There is no difference. They're equally annoying.

 

[brucie]

In alt.html bPstyles said:

Is there any difference between using _blank and _top when you want a link
to open in a new window?

<quote>
_self
The user agent should load the document in the same frame as the element
that refers to this target.

_top
The user agent should load the document into the full, original window
(thus canceling all other frames). This value is equivalent to _self if
the current frame has no parent.
</quote> http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/types.html#h-6.16

and just incase:
http://david.us-lot.org/www/frames/
http://html-faq.com/htmlframes/?framesareevil
http://www.karlcore.com/articles/article.php?id=2
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/l_vajzovic/tom/web/frames.html

 

[bPstyles]

In alt.html bPstyles said:


<quote>
_self
The user agent should load the document in the same frame as the element
that refers to this target.

_top
The user agent should load the document into the full, original window
(thus canceling all other frames). This value is equivalent to _self if
the current frame has no parent.
</quote> http://www.w3.org/TR/html401/types.html#h-6.16

and just incase:
http://david.us-lot.org/www/frames/
http://html-faq.com/htmlframes/?framesareevil
http://www.karlcore.com/articles/article.php?id=2
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/l_vajzovic/tom/web/frames.html

Thanks. My search sucked, so I must have done something wrong.

 

[bPstyles]

Op Sat, 23 Oct 2004 19:28:19 -0400, schreef bPstyles


There is no difference. They're equally annoying.

Well, if I am linking to an external page, I'd rather have it pop-up in a
new browser window.

 

[brucie]

In alt.html bPstyles said:

Well, if I am linking to an external page, I'd rather have it pop-up in a
new browser window.

opening new windows is really icky poo. let the visitor decide if they
want a new window or not.

http://diveintoaccessibility.org/day_16_not_opening_new_windows.html

 

[Barbara de Zoete]

Op Sat, 23 Oct 2004 20:10:08 -0400, schreef bPstyles

Well, if I am linking to an external page, I'd rather have it pop-up in a
new browser window.

Just shows that different people have different preferences.
If you like an external page to pop-up in a new browser window, rightclick
the link and choose for that option. If one implements this as the
default, the person who doesn't like a new window to pop-up doesn't get to
choose.

 

[bPstyles]

In alt.html bPstyles said:


opening new windows is really icky poo. let the visitor decide if they
want a new window or not.

http://diveintoaccessibility.org/day_16_not_opening_new_windows.html

Well, I only do it in a certain instance, I do not abuse it. I know this
tutorial proclaims that you should only do it in extremely extenuating
circumstances, but I would really like to do it in mine. I run a video game
website and I have a section that provides links to online rental companies
(obviously with an affiliate partnership). I don't want them to lose my
page in their surfing. I am hoping people won't frown on it too much.

 

[bPstyles]

Op Sat, 23 Oct 2004 20:10:08 -0400, schreef bPstyles


Just shows that different people have different preferences.
If you like an external page to pop-up in a new browser window, rightclick
the link and choose for that option. If one implements this as the
default, the person who doesn't like a new window to pop-up doesn't get to
choose.

Oh, I know what I do... exactly what you just outlined. I just don't trust
the average surfer. Maybe I am wrong.

 

[Barbara de Zoete]

Op Sat, 23 Oct 2004 20:25:19 -0400, schreef bPstyles

Well, I only do it in a certain instance, I do not abuse it.

I don't want them to lose my page in their surfing.

Oh, but that's easy. Just provide good content and your wandering visitor
will come bakc to you.

 

[brucie]

In alt.html bPstyles said:

Well, I only do it in a certain instance, I do not abuse it.

using it is abusing it, you're removing a choice from the visitor

I would really like to do it in mine.

if you like it then open the new windows yourself. holding the shift key
while clicking a link usually does it. check your browser help files.

I don't want them to lose my page in their surfing.

you're more likely to lose them by opening a new window. for a start the
back button is broken so they cant get back to your site using the most
used means of navigation, the back button (not counting links
themselves) and populating new windows has a high risk of the visitor
closing the one with your site on it. really, there have been studies
made, we don't just make this shit up.

 

[Lauri Raittila]

bPstyles wrote;

Well, I only do it in a certain instance, I do not abuse it.

If you open new window, you abuse target attribute.

I know this
tutorial proclaims that you should only do it in extremely extenuating
circumstances, but I would really like to do it in mine. I run a video game
website and I have a section that provides links to online rental companies
(obviously with an affiliate partnership). I don't want them to lose my
page in their surfing.

Well, you make them lose your page by opening new window. Back button
will not work. If I have 25 windows, it is much esier to go back using
back button than trying to remember what was the last page titlet.

Other potential group to lose your site is those that don't really get
multible windows thing, and only find your window after closing the one
you open, after they have spent time on the other wondering why back
button don't work.

Opening pages in new windows only help people that do get the idea of new
windows, but don't know how to open such.

I am hoping people won't frown on it too much.

I will usually abandon sites opening new windows, if there just is any
site that have even comparable content.

Why hope? I haven't heard anyone getting complaints from not opening new
windows.

 

[Eric Bohlman]

Oh, I know what I do... exactly what you just outlined. I just don't
trust the average surfer. Maybe I am wrong.

On the Web, the more a site author *tries* to control the way his readers
browse, the less control he actually has. You'll actually get *more*
"uniformity of user experience" if you just get out of the way and let your
readers browse the way they're used to browsing (and the overwhelming
majority of them *will* be used to browsing; your site is very unlikely to
get any hits from Total Internet Newbies since they'll be sticking to their
ISP's home page or Yahoo or something like that until they get more
familiar).

 

[Karl Core]

Oh, I know what I do... exactly what you just outlined. I just don't
trust
the average surfer. Maybe I am wrong.

Yes. You are wrong. In fact, opening a new window will do exactly the
opposite of what you want it to do.
Opening a new window will cause the user to get lost and not be able to find
their way back to your site. I have seen that exact thing happen in the
usability lab.

-Karl

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Quoth the raven bPstyles:

Well, I only do it in a certain instance, I do not abuse it. I
know this tutorial proclaims that you should only do it in
extremely extenuating circumstances, but I would really like to do
it in mine. I run a video game website and I have a section that
provides links to online rental companies (obviously with an
affiliate partnership). I don't want them to lose my page in their
surfing. I am hoping people won't frown on it too much.

What you are missing is if the visitor has hir browser maximized, your
new window will completely cover it. Ok, they look at the page you
took them to, then they click the Back button. Whoops! It's broken!
Doesn't go anywhere. What to do now?

They go to Google and search for something else. Hours later when they
are finished surfing and close your new window, they find yours
underneath.

 

[rf]

Beauregard T. Shagnasty wrote

What you are missing is if the visitor has hir browser maximized, your
new window will completely cover it. Ok, they look at the page you
took them to, then they click the Back button. Whoops! It's broken!
Doesn't go anywhere. What to do now?

They go to Google and search for something else. Hours later when they
are finished surfing and close your new window, they find yours
underneath.

thinking: Crikey, who put that there. Must be a virus, I'll have to
black-ban it :-(

 

[brucie]

In alt.html Beauregard T. Shagnasty said:

finished surfing

you can do that? wow! i'm going to save a fortune on eye drops and
amphetamines.

 

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

Quoth the raven brucie:

In alt.html Beauregard T. Shagnasty said:


you can do that? wow! i'm going to save a fortune on eye drops and
amphetamines.

Be careful if you are breast feeding, though... <g>
http://www.prodhelp.com/eyecare/eye_care7.shtml

(lovely site this, btw.)

 

[Noozer]

Is there any difference between using _blank and _top when you want a link
to open in a new window?

_blank is a new window - Don't do it, it's annoying!

_top is the parent window containing the link. Usually the same window.

If you MUST open a new window pick a meaningful name for it so multiple
clicks will reuse the new target window instead of spawning dozens of
windows. A user can still hold SHIFT if the need a third, etc. window.

 

[brucie]

In alt.html Noozer said:

If you MUST open a new window pick a meaningful name for it so multiple
clicks will reuse the new target window instead of spawning dozens of
windows.

good gowd someone kill me. thats even worse than _blank!