Flashes of Panic

A few weeks ago, I complained about how so many links insist on opening a new window. Let me decide if I want to keep the original page, I griped; I’ll open the new link in a tab.

Today Adot linked to an article about Seven tricks that web users don’t know. There’s good stuff there (for instance, as many as two thirds of users don’t know that the company logo in the upper-left of a page is usually a link to the site home page,) but the stinger for me was number 7:

7. Second browser windows
I’ve saved this one for last because it’s especially hard to believe—some people can use Windows applications for years without understanding the concept of task switching. (When I point to the task bar and ask them what it’s for, they can’t tell me.) Thus, spawning second browser windows can completely throw users off track because it removes the one thing they are sure how to use: the “Back” button.

This is my ammunition. Next time I’m asked to “make this link open in a new window,” I’ll ask for a good argument, and present this article as my backup. It’s not just an annoyance to me: it’s confusing users!

Now playing: Gardening At Night (Different Vocal mix) from Eponymous by R.E.M.