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Ask HN: Why isn't HN using target=“_blank” for links?

1 points by datasmurf ↗ HN
It just annoys me a lot, that i always have to use <Right click -> "Open in New Tab"> for a link. Why isn't "target="_blank" used? I'm just curious.

6 comments

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alphajson
Asked myself this question more than once...
willstepp
In certain cases I use target blank myself, but there is some thought in UX design that its often better to let the user decide how to open a link for themselves.
michielr
It's about giving the user the option. If you use target blank it's impossible to stay in the same tab. Which can be a hassle on mobile or it could get blocked as an ad as well. How hard is CTRL + click or MMB?
datasmurf
If the link opens a target on a other website it should be opened in a new tab. If it's a link on the same site it shouldn't.
tired_man
I believe there are a number of addons that will do that for you.