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Clicking on links

Formerly "Lemon Fool - Improve the Recipe" repurposed as Room 102 (see above).
Howyoudoin
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Clicking on links

#162789

Postby Howyoudoin » August 29th, 2018, 9:49 am

At the moment, when you click on a link, you are taken directly to the other site without a new window being opened, i.e. The Lemon Fool (TLF) has disappeared from the open tabs in your browser. You then need to use the back button to work your way back to TLF should you be so inclined.

Is there any way that a new window could be opened instead when you click on a link, to prevent the reverse navigation needed?

Or do people prefer it this way?

I know that TMF used to work this way too, so perhaps it's just personal preference for the majority.

Thanks,

HYD

tjh290633
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Re: Clicking on links

#162792

Postby tjh290633 » August 29th, 2018, 9:54 am

If you right click on a link, you get the option to "open in a new tab". On a mobile you get the same option if you keep your finger on the link.

The choice is yours.

TJH

Watis
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Re: Clicking on links

#162812

Postby Watis » August 29th, 2018, 11:11 am

tjh290633 wrote:If you right click on a link, you get the option to "open in a new tab". On a mobile you get the same option if you keep your finger on the link.

The choice is yours.

TJH


Or CTRL-left click, if your keyboard is handy.

Watis

mc2fool
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Re: Clicking on links

#162815

Postby mc2fool » August 29th, 2018, 11:13 am

As well as the option mentioned by TJH, in most browsers if you hold down the Ctrl key while clicking a link it will open the target page in a new tab and if you hold down Shift it will open it in a new window. So, the choice is already there and under your control.

TLF definitely should not open a new window or tab on following a link as that would remove users' choice and control, not to mention break the web wide convention and expectation as to how links normally work.

https://medium.com/the-metric/links-should-open-in-the-same-window-447da3ae59ba

melonfool
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Re: Clicking on links

#162839

Postby melonfool » August 29th, 2018, 12:12 pm

I prefer the software to open a new window, as HYD has suggested. Apart from anything else, why would TLF want to actively send users away, surely we want to keep people here?

But I have mentioned it before and it seems everyone else prefers it the way it is.

(and I am aware of how to do it with right clicks etc)

Mel

melonfool
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Re: Clicking on links

#162840

Postby melonfool » August 29th, 2018, 12:13 pm

mc2fool wrote:As well as the option mentioned by TJH, in most browsers if you hold down the Ctrl key while clicking a link it will open the target page in a new tab and if you hold down Shift it will open it in a new window. So, the choice is already there and under your control.

TLF definitely should not open a new window or tab on following a link as that would remove users' choice and control, not to mention break the web wide convention and expectation as to how links normally work.

https://medium.com/the-metric/links-should-open-in-the-same-window-447da3ae59ba


Every other site I post on - Mumsnet, Facebook, Linked-In, dating sites etc - they ALL break that convention. So much so that I think calling it a 'convention' is just wrong!

Mel

mc2fool
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Re: Clicking on links

#162850

Postby mc2fool » August 29th, 2018, 12:44 pm

melonfool wrote:Apart from anything else, why would TLF want to actively send users away, surely we want to keep people here?

Ah, bad reasons number 2 & 3. https://css-tricks.com/use-target_blank/. The way you keep people here is by having engaging content, not by overriding the default browser behaviour and removing user choice.

melonfool wrote:
mc2fool wrote:TLF definitely should not open a new window or tab on following a link as that would remove users' choice and control, not to mention break the web wide convention and expectation as to how links normally work.

https://medium.com/the-metric/links-should-open-in-the-same-window-447da3ae59ba

Every other site I post on - Mumsnet, Facebook, Linked-In, dating sites etc - they ALL break that convention. So much so that I think calling it a 'convention' is just wrong!

If so then they too are wrong and remove users' choice and control. With the default behaviour users can very easily decide and control if they want to see the target page of a link in a new tab/window or not.

If the site forces them to see it in a new tab/window they're stuck with that and have no way of overriding it. That alone is sufficient reason not to do it.

Howyoudoin
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Re: Clicking on links

#162854

Postby Howyoudoin » August 29th, 2018, 12:58 pm

mc2fool wrote:
melonfool wrote:Apart from anything else, why would TLF want to actively send users away, surely we want to keep people here?

Ah, bad reasons number 2 & 3. https://css-tricks.com/use-target_blank/. The way you keep people here is by having engaging content, not by overriding the default browser behaviour and removing user choice.


I fail to see how it is 'removing user choice'. If you open in a new window, you then have both the link and TLF, so that's more choice isn't it?

melonfool wrote:
mc2fool wrote:TLF definitely should not open a new window or tab on following a link as that would remove users' choice and control, not to mention break the web wide convention and expectation as to how links normally work.

https://medium.com/the-metric/links-should-open-in-the-same-window-447da3ae59ba

Every other site I post on - Mumsnet, Facebook, Linked-In, dating sites etc - they ALL break that convention. So much so that I think calling it a 'convention' is just wrong!

mc2fool wrote:If so then they too are wrong and remove users' choice and control. With the default behaviour users can very easily decide and control if they want to see the target page of a link in a new tab/window or not.

If the site forces them to see it in a new tab/window they're stuck with that and have no way of overriding it. That alone is sufficient reason not to do it.


No way of overriding it? How about right clicking on the link, 'copy shortcut' and pasting into the url window at the top? It's a workaround yes but similar has been suggested to me on this thread in order to open a link in a new window.

HYD

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Re: Clicking on links

#162865

Postby mc2fool » August 29th, 2018, 1:40 pm

Howyoudoin wrote:I fail to see how it is 'removing user choice'. If you open in a new window, you then have both the link and TLF, so that's more choice isn't it?

As it is users can (very easily) choose whether to have it open in a new window or not. You want it to force the new window on them. That's removing choice.

Howyoudoin wrote:No way of overriding it? How about right clicking on the link, 'copy shortcut' and pasting into the url window at the top? It's a workaround yes but similar has been suggested to me on this thread in order to open a link in a new window.

LOL. Right. No quick and easy way of overriding. And the "similar" suggestion was just right-click, click.

All you have to do if you want it in a new tab or window is just right-click, click or hold down ctrl or shift while clicking. In order to avoid you doing that very quick and easy act your suggestion is that those who don't want that behaviour:

right-click over the link
select Copy Shortcut/Link Location
then click in the address bar
then either press ctrl-v or right-click and select Paste
then press return or click the "go to address" button.

I use ctrl-click quite a lot to get pages up in new tabs. Why don't you give it a go yourself, you'll find having that (quick and easy) choice and control really useful, in all sorts of sites, not just TLF :D

Howyoudoin
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Re: Clicking on links

#162871

Postby Howyoudoin » August 29th, 2018, 1:50 pm

mc2fool wrote:I use ctrl-click quite a lot to get pages up in new tabs. Why don't you give it a go yourself, you'll find having that (quick and easy) choice and control really useful, in all sorts of sites, not just TLF :D


Strange that you do want links to open in a new tab but you don't want them to automatically open in a new tab without a workaround.

Anyway, I suspect I'm in a minority of users here that want this functionality so i'll duck out now.

HYD

swill453
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Re: Clicking on links

#162876

Postby swill453 » August 29th, 2018, 2:00 pm

Howyoudoin wrote:Anyway, I suspect I'm in a minority of users here that want this functionality so i'll duck out now.

I'm not sure you're in a minority, because the way you want it is used on some of the most popular sites on the Internet (Facebook, Twitter, most other social media and lots of other places).

However it's not the way on the most popular site - Google*.

The purist, "correct" way to do it is not to open a new tab or page, for all the reasons mentioned above. But for some people the convenience of not leaving a site makes it preferable to do it the other way.

There's no simple answer, one can't please everybody.

What I would say is that whatever the choice is, it shouldn't later be changed. Therein lies confusion.

Scott.

* - except in some cases, like "Visit site" in a Google image search.

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Re: Clicking on links

#162882

Postby mc2fool » August 29th, 2018, 2:29 pm

Howyoudoin wrote:
mc2fool wrote:I use ctrl-click quite a lot to get pages up in new tabs. Why don't you give it a go yourself, you'll find having that (quick and easy) choice and control really useful, in all sorts of sites, not just TLF :D

Strange that you do want links to open in a new tab but you don't want them to automatically open in a new tab without a workaround.

Uh? I said I use ctrl-click quite a lot, not that I always want links to open in a new tab. I most certainly don't and there's nothing strange about wanting choice and quick & easy control over it, and not having things that happen automatically requiring a multi stage workaround to avoid.

BTW, holding down ctrl (or shift) while clicking isn't a "workaround", it's a feature of all of the major browsers, and I get equally annoyed with sites that don't respect the ctrl and force loading the link target into the same tab, even though you've ctrl-clicked.

melonfool
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Re: Clicking on links

#162893

Postby melonfool » August 29th, 2018, 2:48 pm

mc2fool wrote:
I use ctrl-click quite a lot to get pages up in new tabs. Why don't you give it a go yourself, you'll find having that (quick and easy) choice and control really useful, in all sorts of sites, not just TLF :D



What makes you think we *don't* do that? I do.

But anyway, TLF is the only site I need to do it on. Other sites have it set up properly.

Mel

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Re: Clicking on links

#162898

Postby mc2fool » August 29th, 2018, 3:09 pm

melonfool wrote:
mc2fool wrote:I use ctrl-click quite a lot to get pages up in new tabs. Why don't you give it a go yourself, you'll find having that (quick and easy) choice and control really useful, in all sorts of sites, not just TLF :D

What makes you think we *don't* do that? I do.

Is that the royal "we" Mel? :D

My reply was to Howyoudoin, who I assumed (maybe incorrectly) from the earlier posts wasn't aware of ctrl-click, not to everyone reading this thread.

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Re: Clicking on links

#162902

Postby melonfool » August 29th, 2018, 3:33 pm

mc2fool wrote:
melonfool wrote:
mc2fool wrote:I use ctrl-click quite a lot to get pages up in new tabs. Why don't you give it a go yourself, you'll find having that (quick and easy) choice and control really useful, in all sorts of sites, not just TLF :D

What makes you think we *don't* do that? I do.

Is that the royal "we" Mel? :D

My reply was to Howyoudoin, who I assumed (maybe incorrectly) from the earlier posts wasn't aware of ctrl-click, not to everyone reading this thread.


Yes, I can see who your reply was to directly, but this is an open forum, not a personal email and I decided to take it as being to all the people who prefer links to open in new threads, which so far is me and HYD.

Saying 'but my way is easy' is no substitute for understanding that other people prefer it the other way.

Mel

maximan
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Re: Clicking on links

#162906

Postby maximan » August 29th, 2018, 3:52 pm

I can't see a reason for not wanting the link to open in a new tab. I often want to look back at the post that posted the link and cannot do this if a new link is not in a new tab. A loss of choice ??? Perhaps they should offer the choice on parachutes Only pull this ring if you wish the chute to open. :lol:

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Re: Clicking on links

#162908

Postby melonfool » August 29th, 2018, 3:54 pm

maximan wrote:I can't see a reason for not wanting the link to open in a new tab. I often want to look back at the post that posted the link and cannot do this if a new link is not in a new tab. A loss of choice ??? Perhaps they should offer the choice on parachutes Only pull this ring if you wish the chute to open. :lol:


Exactly!

Or I go off down a rabbit hole and forget where I started and that it was a TLF/whatever post that got me there.

Mel

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Re: Clicking on links

#162912

Postby mc2fool » August 29th, 2018, 4:00 pm

melonfool wrote:
mc2fool wrote:
melonfool wrote:What makes you think we *don't* do that? I do.

Is that the royal "we" Mel? :D

My reply was to Howyoudoin, who I assumed (maybe incorrectly) from the earlier posts wasn't aware of ctrl-click, not to everyone reading this thread.

Yes, I can see who your reply was to directly, but this is an open forum, not a personal email and I decided to take it as being to all the people who prefer links to open in new threads, which so far is me and HYD.

Saying 'but my way is easy' is no substitute for understanding that other people prefer it the other way.

Well that wasn't the way it was intended and I'd suggest that it's not a good idea to take directed replies that way otherwise whenever someone tried to offer a useful and constructive suggestion to one person everyone else would complain "we know that already".

I do understand that some other people may prefer it the other way Mel, but it isn't symmetric for the two groups. This isn't a simple swap of "currently click is in same tab and ctrl-click is in new, and it should be changed to click is in new tab and ctrl-click is in same", but rather something that would make it much more inconvenient for those that prefer it the way it currently is.

swill453
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Re: Clicking on links

#162914

Postby swill453 » August 29th, 2018, 4:06 pm

melonfool wrote:Exactly!

Or I go off down a rabbit hole and forget where I started and that it was a TLF/whatever post that got me there.

So how do you get on with Google search, where clicking on a link in the search results uses the same tab?

If anything is going to take you down a rabbit hole it's a Google search!

Scott.

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Re: Clicking on links

#162916

Postby maximan » August 29th, 2018, 4:10 pm

I do understand that some other people may prefer it the other way Mel, but it isn't symmetric for the two groups. This isn't a simple swap of "currently click is in same tab and ctrl-click is in new, and it should be changed to click is in new tab and ctrl-click is in same", but rather something that would make it much more inconvenient for those that prefer it the way it currently is.[/quote]

I do not wish to pre-judge as I am not great with technology but what why would you not want any link to open in a new tab.


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