<a class="mention" href="/@whale">@whale</a> if you look at the usability studies on this issue (of which there are loads because this debate is as old as the hills) you'll see theres not much evidence of users not knowing what the back button does. If they don't come back its because they've chosen not to come back. The same window/new tab issue is really just personal preference and users are pretty much split down the middle. For every one of you theres one of me who prefers external links to open in the same window.
Browsers have always allowed users to chose to open a link in a new window/tab by right clicking and using the context menu (or Cmd/Alt clicking) or on mobile tap and holding. When you force a link to open in a new window you take that choice away, and thats really the point I'm making in that it should be user choice.
<a class="mention" href="/@whale">@whale</a> if you look at the usability studies on this issue (of which there are loads because this debate is as old as the hills) you'll see theres not much evidence of users not knowing what the back button does. If they don't come back its because they've chosen not to come back. The same window/new tab issue is really just personal preference and users are pretty much split down the middle. For every one of you theres one of me who prefers external links to open in the same window.
Browsers have always allowed users to chose to open a link in a new window/tab by right clicking and using the context menu (or Cmd/Alt clicking) or on mobile tap and holding. When you force a link to open in a new window you take that choice away, and thats really the point I'm making in that it should be user choice.