Why does a new window open when I flag posts?

November 11, 2005 5:26 PM

Why does flagging a post or comment have to involve the opening of so many new windows?
posted by jack_mo to Bugs at 5:26 PM (11 comments total)

Obviously this depends on how one's browser is set up, but when I flag a post, a new window opens for me to state a reason for flagging, then when I hit 'Flag this post' another window opens, kindly thanks me for flagging, then redirects to the post in question. Which means I end up with the flag-worthy post in a window, a flaggy window, and the post in a window again, all open at the same time. Which is quite a lot of windows.
posted by jack_mo at 5:27 PM on November 11, 2005

I think it means you have "open links in new window" enabled in Metafilter personal settings. Discussed here.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:34 PM on November 11, 2005

Oop, you're not wrong. Thanks, goodnewsfortheinsane.

Terribly sorry for wasting MetaTalk space.
posted by jack_mo at 5:41 PM on November 11, 2005

What if you want links to open new windows but "administrivia"-type stuff not to do so?

It seems reasonable to make those links a different class or something.

(Shrug.)
posted by gohlkus at 5:59 PM on November 11, 2005

jack_mo: "Terribly sorry for wasting MetaTalk space."

We're one thread closer to endgame. Thanks.
posted by Plutor at 6:50 PM on November 11, 2005

I think it means you have "open links in new window" enabled in Metafilter personal settings.

On-site links don't usually open in a new window with this setting. I think it's a bug, albeit a minor one.
posted by kjh at 7:20 PM on November 11, 2005

kjh: "I think it's a bug, albeit a minor one."

Or you could read the thread he linked to, and stop guessing.
posted by Plutor at 7:27 PM on November 11, 2005

Or you could read the thread he linked to, and stop guessing.

Ok, I read the thread (as someone who prefers "open links in new window") and *still* don't understand why - for just one example of inconsistency - the first 9 internal links on my user page open in the same window and the next 9 internal links don't.

"It's a bug, albeit a minor one" seems accurate, but any non-wiseass explanations are more than welcome. Oh, and for the record, eliminating the "open in new window" option entirely seems an unnecessarily rigid and unforgiving way of dealing with the issue.
posted by mediareport at 9:52 PM on November 11, 2005

Or you could read the thread he linked to, and stop guessing.

That is to say, one that it would be nice to see fixed. You know, just in case someone besides you reads this.
posted by kjh at 12:18 AM on November 12, 2005

On-site links don't usually open in a new window with this setting.

Yeah, that was what was confusing me - I don't think I've looked at that Customise page since I joined the site, and since I tend to click through from the RSS feed, and tend to have my thumb on the Command key to open external links in new tabs when I'm on the site anyway, it seemed odd that the flagging thing was so window/tab crazy.

Er, I'll stop trying to justify my failure to look at my preferences before starting this thread now!
posted by jack_mo at 2:13 AM on November 12, 2005

This should be fixed now.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 7:11 PM on November 13, 2005