Forum:External links to open in a new tab or window

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I think we should consider targeting external links to open in a new tab or window (_blank).

This will accomplish two main things:

1. It will keep viewers on this website longer, something that is necessary to build site traffic.
2. It is the usability standard in web design practice and will make us look professional.

Apparently it is a really easy change to implement, we just need to put it to a vote.

Vote Here

Score: 3

For:

1. Nom and for ~Formerly Annoying Crap 22:33, 12 October 2015
2.  For. --Stranger195 (talk • contribs • guestbook • wt • aotm • unf) 11:55, 14 October 2015 (UTC)
3. BOOMSHAKALAK!!! -- Sir Mhaille  (talk to me)

Comments

• I have no opinion on this, but anyone voting should consider best practices, both for wikis, and for web design in general. Opening external links in new tabs likely won't have much effect on novice/intermediate users (I've watched my mother browse the Web, and she tends to focus on new tabs, without realizing the old tab stayed open, even if I point it out to her; she'll even close old tabs without looking at them). Meanwhile, advanced users may be annoyed by having links open in new tabs. Obviously, the default setting is preferred by MW developers (that's why it's the default).
  
  On the other hand, it's really a simple change, and I doubt it will harm anything, beyond making one or two people very mildly annoyed. If there's a consensus  For, I'll enable it. ~ BB ~ (T) ~ Tue, Oct 13 '15 4:47 (UTC)

• Here is a link for the opposing argument. I watch novice users on computers also. They embrace tabs and do not control-click. The back button is mostly reserved for mistake clicks and 'quick peeks.' If anything, they right-click and open a new tab or window manually but then they are obviously familiar with 'advanced browsing.' With an average viewer attention span of under 30 seconds, I was thinking this might help the wiki. If we receive complaints we can always revert it. ~Formerly Annoying Crap 05:29, 13 October 2015

  Yeah, but if you'll notice, just about every comment on that post disagrees with the author, and one commenter even goes to the trouble of debunking every point he makes. ~ BB ~ (T) ~ Tue, Oct 27 '15 2:09 (UTC)

I watch Bizzie's mom on the internet all the time, but she doesn't know I'm watching. God bless those hackable webcams. Leverage (talk) 15:57, 23 November 2015 (UTC)

Result

It probably won't have any effect either way, but as we've reached what apparently passes for a consensus around here, I've turned the option on. If anybody has a problem with this, please leave complaints and/or suggestions here ~ BB ~ (T) ~ Tue, Oct 27 '15 2:09 (UTC)

Bug (Feature?)

It seems to open up links within uncyclopedia in new tabs if its done in a url like this link right here. – roza (talk ☭ ctbs ☭ log) 04:03, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

Yep, which is why I'm gonna have to reconsider turning this 'feature' on.  ~ BB ~ (T) ~ Tue, Oct 27 '15 4:58 (UTC)

Is there a way to have it where links with urls that don't have uncyclopedia.co get put in a new tab? I have no technical expertise whatsoever, but it doesn't seem impossible. – roza (talk ☭ ctbs ☭ log) 05:44, 27 October 2015 (UTC)

Apparently MW doesn't check the URL to determine what is and what isn't an external link. Instead, it bases its definition on the way the link was made (single square brackets, for instance).  ~ BB ~ (T) ~ Tue, Oct 27 '15 7:37 (UTC)

Update

I finally got off my ass and changed the server-side setting back to the default, as we can all agree it doesn't work right. I added some code to MediaWiki:Common.js to do what we want properly. If you encounter any bugs, let me know.  ~ BB ~ (T) ~ Sun, Nov 22 '15 3:55 (UTC)