> -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Christian Heilmann > Sent: Monday, 14 August 2006 7:17 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [WSG] target=_blank > > > Ok.. > > > > Why isn't target=_blank a valid tag/attribute in XHTML > Strict? It's a > > necessity really if your going to link so why not.?? > > How so? It is the user's choice if she wants to stay on your page (and > shift click the link) or not, it is not yours to demand. You cannot > expect the user agent to support several windows or the user to be > able to deal with them, not all people see pages or use a mouse. XHTML > strict is not only enforcing strict XML syntax, it is also taking HTML > to an application level.
Now that websites are moving more towards application style, they should really behave like applications as we are accustomed to. And a fact is that applications require pop-up windows at certain stages. Mostly when information is provided that falls outside of a linear process. The typical example: a user fills out a form and wants to read the Terms and Conditions. Or a user works in MS Word and wants to read the Help File. Never do those applications provide the user with the option of opening the supplementary information in the same window. For a good reason: the users would get taken out of the linear process they are in and potentially loose whatever they were working on. Just imagine you would loose your 200-page thesis in MS Word just because you didn't specifically request the HELP information to open in a new window. So if websites are becoming applications, why shouldn't they behave in the same fashion that we are accustomed to from other applications? In Word, if I decide to go to a new document, I expect it to open in the main window. Ergo: On the web, if the user decides to go to a different website, it should open in the main window. In Word, if I decide to access information that help me work with the current document (e.g. help file, save dialog, document preferences) I expect them to open in a pop-up window. Why should it be any different on the web? Making "target" an invalid attribute for links is plain stupid. It forces developers to revert to some javascript ways of opening a new window which potentially makes websites extremely user-unfriendly for people with javascript disabled. Developers should be educated in the correct use of the target attribute, eliminating it just creates a whole new problem. ****************************************************** The discussion list for http://webstandardsgroup.org/ See http://webstandardsgroup.org/mail/guidelines.cfm for some hints on posting to the list & getting help ******************************************************
