IE6 and new windows = popups

[tom_f]

I thought I was following the "rules" by religiously opening all off-site links as new windows, i.e., with target="_blank". Even though the *only* event that can trigger these links is a deliberate click by the site visitor, IE6 has decided that all links opened in new windows simply must be accursed popups. I agree that popups generated by all other events, such as mouse-overs or closing the page etc. are indeed accursed and I suppress them myself. But c'mon ... if I click a link there is no subterfuge or intrusion involved here. So much for the IE6 design team and their shotgun approach to problem solving and the morality of popups.

I find the notification that IE6 makes when it suppresses a "popup" to be too unobtrusive and easily lost in the noise of their toolbars and browser paraphernalia and remedial action too inconvenient for the non-techie site visitor. (Click the notification message, enable popups for this site, reclick the offsite link --- all this without any explanation of the drill by the website.)

I want to know if any sniffer script exists that can determine if the webpage is dealing with an IE6 browser for which popups have been disabled. I have a little message at the bottom of the homepage advising visitors that javascript is employed on the site and they should enable it while visiting. If I start adding caveats right and left the homepage is going to eventually get garbaged up so I feel I have to be pretty picky about writing a "My Site for Dummies" at the bottom of the homepage.

I need some advice about making IE6 play nice with links opened in new windows and some thinking-through of what options I'd have to advise the visitor if I can detect a popup-disabled IE6. (The offsite links are going to continue to be opened in new windows so a change there is not an option.)

Thank you.

[Charles]

The solution might be to open your pop-ups thusly:

<a href="http://www.w3.org/" onclick="window.open (this.href, 'child'); return false">W3C</a>

[tom_f]

I made the suggested substitution and tried it out. The page was intercepted by the IE6 popup blocker and treated just like the case of using target="_blank". (Btw, these pages are NOT popups :) they're plain vanilla off-site links.)

The only difference that the substitution made was that it added an unwanted Links bar to the browser window (whether I used IE5.5 or IE6).

I guess I'll just cross my fingers and hope that visitors to the website are savvy enough to make sense of the popup blocker's mischief and Information bar distraction.

Thanks for trying.

[zachzach]

Hm...this is a problem.

I think you should just open the sites in the same browser window, but make use of a javascript tecnique though up by Ryan Brill:
http://www.ryanbrill.com/archives/designating-offsite-links/
Very good way of telling them they're about to go offsite.

[Webnauts]

You might would like to have a look at my thread I just started:
http://www.webdeveloper.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52685

[hasuinterceptor]

Why don't you guys use Opera? :)

[Webnauts]

I use Opera for evaluating accessibility for pages I create.
For surfing I definetely use the brower of the future: FIREFOX!