Strongly suggest V2.0 keep the option [force in same tab]

Discussion of features in Mozilla Firefox
User avatar
jtmal0723
Posts: 385
Joined: April 9th, 2005, 9:10 am
Location: New Jersey, USA
Contact:

Post by jtmal0723 »

asqueella wrote:It's like saying "let's remove popup blocker, good guys don't do popups"


The popup blocker hasn't worked for me in ages... I honestly think it doesn't work anymore
User avatar
BenBasson
Moderator
Posts: 13671
Joined: February 13th, 2004, 5:49 am
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Post by BenBasson »

asqueella wrote:It's like saying "let's remove popup blocker, good guys don't do popups".

I don't recall seeing target="_blank" abuse that wasn't forum-based in a long time.

asqueella wrote:I think zeniko makes excellent points, but trying to persuade Firefox devs once they settled on their decision is no fun.

Getting developers to change the defaults / UI is one thing, but they're fairly accommodating when it comes to supporting extension authors, at least, in my experience.
asqueella
Posts: 4019
Joined: November 16th, 2003, 3:05 am
Location: Russia, Moscow

Post by asqueella »

Cusser wrote:
asqueella wrote:It's like saying "let's remove popup blocker, good guys don't do popups".

I don't recall seeing target="_blank" abuse that wasn't forum-based in a long time.


I don't know the technical details, but when I'm using Opera many links randomly open in a new tab on left-click. This (and the fact that I can't use their options window to change this behavior) is one of the things that annoy me about Opera.

I wouldn't start arguing if developers and you didn't think (and try to persuade others) that this UI change makes sense or was called for.
Old UI was clumsy, yes. New tab options simplify the UI at the expense of being "technically worse", just like the simplified JS options.
JonHa
Posts: 38
Joined: April 30th, 2006, 10:09 am
Location: Germany

Post by JonHa »

There is another problem with removing the UI for this pref: Users who ignored target="_blank" with the old UI in 1.5.x will have no ability to to restore the default behaviour. This would be then a similar problem like the xpinstall.enabled-bug.

I stronlgy suggest to keep this pref.

PS: I suppose many of the developers does not get the serioisness of this problem because they have set this pref in their profile once and they do not realize that the default behaviour is another and that most of the users don't know about about:config.
User avatar
BenBasson
Moderator
Posts: 13671
Joined: February 13th, 2004, 5:49 am
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Post by BenBasson »

asqueella wrote:New tab options simplify the UI at the expense of being "technically worse", just like the simplified JS options.

That's debatable.

The JavaScript options were technically worse because they tried to flip five or six preferences at once, and there was no clear line between "JavaScript features" and "annoyances" - well, apparently. It simply wasn't thought through at all.

I still think it's pretty clear what needs to happen:
- Anything that changes/hides chrome should default to off. No UI pref.
- Anything that causes obnoxious behaviour (moving/resizing windows, etc) should default to off. No UI pref.
- Anything that tries to affect the context menu should default to off. Possible UI pref, this is used by some web applications.

In the case of the tab options, a pref is being purposefully removed. This isn't technically worse on the same grounds, it's a design decision that is (intentionally) removing a preference rather than fudging six preferences together with an option that has no useful clues as to it's purpose.

I don't think it makes sense to ditch the pref, but I'm not opposed to canning the check-box for it. The only way I'd vote for keeping the UI pref for this is if someone can make the wording for it fit with the new options and not sound contradictory.

JonHa wrote:There is another problem with removing the UI for this pref: Users who ignored target="_blank" with the old UI in 1.5.x will have no ability to to restore the default behaviour. This would be then a similar problem like the xpinstall.enabled-bug.

The old UI set values depending on both the check-box and the radio buttons. I'm pretty sure that even without the check-box, the same preference is being set, so as soon as you change anything in the tabbed options, you lose the old (now inaccessible) setting.

JonHa wrote:I suppose many of the developers does not get the serioisness of this problem because they have set this pref in their profile once and they do not realize that the default behaviour is another and that most of the users don't know about about:config.

I wouldn't count on that.
Alkabiades
Posts: 4
Joined: September 3rd, 2006, 4:08 pm

Moderator those add ons don't work!

Post by Alkabiades »

The only add on that works for me is tab mix. Target killer allows some popups and no new window won't even install. Tab mix is kind of overkill but actually has some neat features so I'm not entirely unhappy. My vote is this should have been taken out of the UI and made force the same tab/window as default. No popups ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
kstahl
Moderator
Posts: 1521
Joined: December 22nd, 2003, 5:27 pm
Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Post by kstahl »

Holy Resurrection of Old Threads, Batman!
johne1
Posts: 26
Joined: December 10th, 2006, 3:09 pm

Re: Strongly suggest V2.0 keep the option [force in same tab

Post by johne1 »

sunnyhil wrote:Hi,

<b>Strongly suggest V2.0 keep the option "force in same tab"</b>

But in the firefox version 2.0 beta, the option "Force links that open new windows to open in the same tab/window as the link" was unfortunately removed.


I have to completely disagree.

This behavior violates the very setting in Tools, Options, Tabs, open in a new tab.

I think what you want are the settings as they are in SeaMonkey.

As is, Firefox is flawed, but it is consistent with this "bad behavior."

With Firefox set to open new windows in a new tab,
AND
With Google preferences set to open a search result in a new window,

here's how Firefox misbehaves:

1. Run a Google search in tab # 1. Click on one of the results and it opens in a new tab.
Call this tab # 2. All is well, so far.

2. Press CTRL-T to open a new tab (this is now tab # 3).

3. Perform a Google search in the tab # 3.

4. Click on one of the results and it pops up in tab # 2, instead of in a new tab.

According to the settings in Tools, Options..., Tabs,

New tabs should be opened in:

a. a new window
b. a new tab (I have this checked)

The new search result should open in a new tab (which would be tab # 4).

So, WHY doesn't it open in a new tab?!?!?!?!?!

The current behavior completely violates the setting in Tools, Options..., Tabs.

According to Firefox's Options, it is reasonable to expect this result without having to install a Tabbed Browsing extension.

Regards,

JohnE
hampshirehog
Posts: 6
Joined: March 28th, 2006, 5:13 am
Location: Hampshire UK

Post by hampshirehog »

I just don't like tabs and find them a pain although I can fully understand that many find it a useful facility. With multiple monitors I find it much more convenient and informative to just open a new page on another monitor.
But simply put, the user choice to either enable tabs or force open in a new window should be replaced in v2.0 on an upcoming update.
KuroiNeko
Posts: 1
Joined: July 2nd, 2007, 12:39 am

Post by KuroiNeko »

I just changed to FF 2.0 after much hesitation, and I don't see why this option was removed from the UI, and I have no idea which of the thousands of things I could do with about:config would simulate the simple checkbox I was used to with 1.5. Having tons of tabs open is not cool, and links unexpectedly opening new ones is very frustrating. I'm used to hitting Back to go back after clicking links, not closing tab after tab. Also, if I ever WANT a new tab, I will middle click on it, and would appreciate it if Firefox would leave me alone the rest of the time.

External apps opening pages in tabs, windows, or whatever is a <i>completely</i> different issue, so the "merging" (ie. removing) of preferences just makes me want to go back to 1.5 or Opera.

Although, if someone could provide the one line of ten million in about:config that would fix this oversight, it would certainly be appreciated.
johne1
Posts: 26
Joined: December 10th, 2006, 3:09 pm

Post by johne1 »

I use a similar shortcut/work-around to force a link to open in a new window, CTRL-Click (left button). But when links are opened by code, my only control is NoScript, since most of those automated links employ javascript to do the work.

I hadn't noticed that the setting to open a tab in the same window/tab had been removed in 2.0, and even though I don't use that setting, I certainly agree it should be there for those that want it. That's a silly setting to remove. User interface consistency outweighs any argument to remove that setting, IMO.

SeaMonkey gives the user even more control over tabs than Firefox and those settings are strictly within the confines of browsing, nothing to do with it being a suite.

I love using Firefox and I certainly understand these guys wanting to keep it simple and as clean an interface as possible.

When it comes to "Design" decisions--they'll never please us all, but the settings they chose to include should function as stated.

JohnE
ddast
Posts: 1
Joined: July 10th, 2007, 8:52 am

Post by ddast »

I think it's pretty ridiculous this option has been removed. In Firefox 1.x, I very much enjoyed deciding _myself_ when to open a new tab, and not having it forced upon me by web pages. If I wanted a link to open in a new tab, I'd middle click it.

Now you're annoying the power users by removing the option at all, even from an about:config tweak? Ludicrous.
personsatnexttoddast
Posts: 1
Joined: July 10th, 2007, 9:30 am

Post by personsatnexttoddast »

ddast wrote:Now you're annoying the power users by removing the option at all, even from an about:config tweak? Ludicrous.


Hopefully someone will fix this soon - i'm sat next to this guy and he's been whining about this all afternoon
User avatar
the-edmeister
Posts: 32249
Joined: February 25th, 2003, 12:51 am
Location: Chicago, IL, USA

Post by the-edmeister »

You guys are talking about something that may have been fixable when this thread was started 14 months ago (look at the dates of the postings!), but considering the fact that Firefox 2.0 was released over 8 months ago, it ain't gonna be fixed in 2.0. Look for an extension that provides the features you want.

Now is the time to be lobbying for fixes in Firefox 3.0, Firefox 2.0 is the way it is.


Ed
A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Mine has wandered off and I'm out looking for it.
miles_muso
Posts: 94
Joined: October 1st, 2005, 6:16 am

Post by miles_muso »

Hi All,

The 'open/don't open in new tab' problem can be solved by using any one of the tab extensions that exist: the most popular (I believe) is Tab Mix Plus
Post Reply