Community Wishlist Survey 2023/Reading/Add preference to open links in a new window or tab

Random proposal ►◄ Reading The survey has concluded. Here are the results!

Add preference to open links in a new window or tab

Problem: Opening a link
Proposed solution: Add a user preference that would set links to open automatically in a new window
Who would benefit: Good for everyone
More comments:
Phabricator tickets:
Proposer: Wthjmkuiper (talk) 12:50, 28 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Discussion

No, this is not good idea. Who use mouse, can use middle button. On mobile device use longer touch and select "open in new tab". Maybe exists some gadget which adds target="_blank" for links. JAn Dudík (talk) 08:39, 31 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Many browser preference and existing browser extensions/gadgets should already support this behavior.

Use of _target has been discouraged in web development for over a decade now, so like Jan, I wouldn't advise this. Jdlrobson (talk) 17:42, 3 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Also, the use of target="_blank" is bad for accessibility (this is especially a problem for blind users; it would not benefit them). It should not be done. The user needs to be in control and target="_blank" takes agency away from users. — Al12si (talk) 20:35, 7 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Actually, target="_blank" has been a (non-deprecated) part of HTML5 since at least 2011 (see, for example, the spec on Navigable target names). It was briefly deprecated in HTML 4 but that was a long time ago. - CRGreathouse (talk) 20:18, 21 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

@Wthjmkuiper: I amended your proposal to say that this solution would be a user preference since this change should not apply to every user. I hope this is okay with you. Thank you for participating in this survey! HMonroy (WMF) (talk) 21:27, 8 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

I'm a chronic open-in-new-tabber myself, so I appreciate and endorse the underlying sentiment here. Nevertheless, I don't think this is an appropriate domain for a Wikimedia intervention. It belongs at the browser level, where such options are already universally supported. It's strongly discouraged for individual web sites to insist on pages being opened in new tabs or windows, even by user request. NillaGoon (talk) 22:39, 11 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Too many times I followed links that looked promising but when I wanted to go back to where I came from, I couln't. I got stuck in one of these pages. When I use WordPress I have a choice. I would like to have the same choice in Wikipedia. Nobody is obliged to use that feature. That's all. Yours, Willem.

Voting

Strong support PureTuber (talk) 22:33, 10 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support ARandomName123 (talk) 23:58, 10 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Dreamy Jazz ^{talk to me | enwiki} 03:06, 11 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support In general, it's a good idea to use target="_blank" sparingly, and to make sure that it's clear to the user why the link is opening in a new tab or window. If it's a preference, there are more pros than cons for the user : keep the original page open, at the original place (there's no anchor everywhere) vs. general 'cons' : confusing and not accessible. Those cons aren't proper cons when it's on purpose. LD (talk) 03:32, 11 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Kekavigi (talk) 07:49, 11 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support HSUZR (talk) 14:16, 11 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Cepice (talk) 14:21, 11 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Rots61 (talk) 16:35, 11 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose NillaGoon (talk) 22:40, 11 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support --NGC 54 (talk｜contribs) 00:56, 12 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Muurid (talk) 13:45, 13 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Syunsyunminmin 🗨️talk 14:04, 13 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Zwd626 (talk) 03:39, 14 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Minarin ^[talk] 03:00, 16 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Dmytro Tvardovskyi (talk) 03:08, 18 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support cyrfaw (talk) 14:10, 19 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support schurdl (talk) 15:02, 19 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Bnichols23 (talk) 17:10, 21 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Oppose Use the middle button, how can this even reach this stage? There has to be many ways to implement middle button or equivalent functionality in your computer or device, it's a basic function. Pure bloat for no gain. Santropedro (talk) 01:21, 22 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Alistair3149 (talk) 20:25, 22 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]
Support Althair (talk) 04:28, 23 February 2023 (UTC)[reply]