Inbox should not open links in new windows

[zvi]

Title:
Inbox should not open links in new windows

Area:
inbox

Summary:
The last code push makes links in the inbox open in new windows. This is bad webdesign, and the behavior should revert.

Description:
The expected behavior of a webpage link is that it opens a link in the same window/tab. The inbox now opens (some?) links in new windows, but does not indicate which links will do so with any metainformation. A focus jump and unnanounced browser takeover are bad webdesign. It also interferes with the normal use of the back button. (See "The Top Ten Web Design Mistakes of 1999" by Jakob Nielsen [ http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990530.html ]

In addition to being a generally bad webdesign, this behavior breaks the LJ-clone pattern of behavior, but *not* in a way that someone new to Dreamwidth can anticipate before it happens, and not in a way for which the user can mentally model a benefit in the change of behavior. (I understand that this was introduced as part of an enhancement -- making the inbox mark entries as read when they are acted upon [ http://bugs.dwscoalition.org/show_bug.cgi?id=1284 ] -- but there's no way to know that without having read the bug.)

Poll #765

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 45

View Respondents

This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
29 (64.4%)

Should be implemented with changes.
3 (6.7%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
9 (20.0%)

(Other: please comment)
4 (8.9%)

Comments

[cesy]

Sounds like a bug, if a new feature broke existing behaviour.

[azurelunatic]

Things opening in the same tab is actually behavior that irritated me in LJ's inbox.

[yvi]

(Other: please comment) -> it should still mark things read upon acting, and if that is somehow not possible to implement at the same time, I'd rather keep the 'open in new tab' behavior.

(I suck at filling out polls today :/)

[susanreads]

It doesn't do it consistently (I clicked on the link on the word "entry" to get here, and it stayed in the same tab), so it shouldn't do it at all. The inbox isn't email.

If somebody follows a link from an item and it's marked as read on the database, all they have to do is click "Inbox" again instead of "Back" to see the new version.

If you're using Firefox and you want something to open in a new tab (or window, depending on your settings), you can control-click. Opening new windows without asking is an accessibility problem.

[kyrielle]

I hate extra windows/tabs, and sometimes they cause performance issues if I already have a lot of them open. I can shift-click or right-click and select 'new tab' if I want a new tab; I don't want to be given one unasked.

[rainbow]

Yes, a million times yes! It's *much* harder for me to navigate around when tabs are opened without my opening them on purpose, since it's harder to figure out where I was if I have several open.

(I thought I'd messed up a setting when that happened yesterday, and am relieved it wasn't me, since I couldn't fix it.)

[ciaan]

I definitely vote against inconsistent link behavior. Either they should always open in the same window/tab or always a different one.

[ratcreature]

I really like that actions now result in the message being read. If there was no way to accomplish that without the new window thing, I'd rather have a new window (which for me opens in new tabs anyway) than have it not read. Without the new window I previously always used a middle click, which I have set to open links in new tabs, to click on the inbox links anyway, so I don't mind it that much.

consistency should rule

[msilverstar]

I love the new behavior because I can now command-click to open in a new tab, and I couldn't before.

HOWEVER, sudden changes in interface like this should go through a process and be announced.

So, despite my own preferences, I think the old behavior should be restored.

[kareila]

Hey, I was just browsing suggestions and saw this. I can't believe my ears weren't burning!

I was actually surprised my patch was pushed through without further changes. I agree with everyone who says that the inbox behavior needs to be consistent! Hopefully it will get there, but it's a stepwise process. Ideally we could even have a user preference for new windows vs. same window when clicking links.

I'm not going to cast a vote either way on this but I appreciate the feedback! Hopefully the end result will be something people are more happy with than not.