Re: Another W3C strict query

At 13:51 25/05/02 +0100, Hilma wrote:
>Why is that?
>I have all my internal links opening up within the same window; but where i
>have an external link, i open in a new window (via JS) - as i don;t *really*
>want to lose my user from my site.

Opening links in a new window is bad for usability for two reasons:

         It breaks the back button

         The more windows you have open the more difficult it is to use 
your computer

As long as you don't break the back button you don't have to worry about 
losing visitors. If they are going to come back they would be able to.

See http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990530.html

It is an accessibility issue because if you are blind, or suffer from poor 
mobility, changing between windows becomes very difficult.

>(Ok, so he has a browser-back button, but i'd like to "keep" him in my site,
>even if he does feel inclined to check an external link).

This is the wrong philosophy. You should be designing websites so that 
people can come in quickly, do what they want/need to do and leave. Who 
benefits from the user being kept on the website?

There are always some (bill paying) clients who think their site is so 
important that users should be kept on it, but it is our responsibility as 
developers to educate them :-). Look at Google, Yahoo and Amazon. They let 
people leave their site just by clicking on a link.

Andrew

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