I like the idea of having external links in the aggregator opening a new browser tab/window.

The attached patch does this. It adds to Admin >> Settings >> Aggregator a checkbox to select the inclusion of the target="_blank" into external links so you can have the standard drupal default (opens inthe current window) or use the new feature to open a new window/tab.

This patch was made against aggregator.module,v 1.278 and therefore is 4.7 only.

--AjK

CommentFileSizeAuthor
aggregator.module_patch_0.txt3.65 KBAjK

Comments

AjK’s picture

AjK commented
Category: task » feature

changing to "normal feature" as it's not a task

drumm’s picture

drumm
he/him
Location NY, US
commented
Status: Needs review » Closed (won't fix)

Opening links in new windows is generally considered bad usability.

Most notably, "opening new browser windows" consistently makes Nielson's Top Ten Mistakes in Web Design.

AjK’s picture

AjK commented

Good point, that's why I added in the admin option for "normal drupal functionality".

I do agree with the reason whole heartedly, however, I disagree with it when the link is to "yet another portal site" (and that's where aggregator always leads) as in that case I personally often find "additional interesting reading" and when it's time to roll back to where I started I have to hit the back button so many times I'd rather it just had it's own window to just close.

But point taken and accept it's a "won't fix" issue.

regards
--AjK

garywiz’s picture

garywiz commented

Whether pop-up windows are a good idea or bad idea, it is very bad for a site to have to "give over control" to the whims of another site's URL strategy. I have aggregated sites which intersperse ads "before the click" so that when you click the aggregated link, you get a pop-up ad, THEN the original browser page goes to the other site. The point is, that the aggregatee (?) needs more control of their site experience with respect to aggregation.

Whether the "control" is being able to have a pop-up page, or just having some URL pruning/editing of URLs is a good discussion. We are finding the aggregator module practically useless unless (a) you really want to hyperlink to another site and (b) the other side is well-designed. Many aggregation sources aren't. Not to mention the special needs of "cross-aggregation" feeds where you have two related sites and you want the content to be shared more transparently so you don't hyper back and forth all the time. (Node aggregator attempts this.)

I also think the presence of the Aggregator2 and Node Aggregator modules are strong evidence that the core aggregator module is weak. It's not good to have a whole variety of "different aggregator" modules with people striking out on their own independent developments. Rather, a good discussion about features and getting the core module fixed up and enhanced would be great.

This isn't really the place for a lengthy discussion about this, but WHERE is the place? Posting this stuff as part of the Drupal project just mixes it in with myriads of other things. I'd love to coordinate this, and even do the proposal and write the code, or prototype it, or whatever.

(I'm new to the dev community. Give me a quick hint about the best way to organize this and I'll do a lot of leg work, if appropriate.)