Survey sez....

Since starting this blog, I've found myself calling on my long-lost web page design skills (or lack thereof) to tweak this page and its entries. Things have changed quite a bit since I last got my hands dirty with HTML, and elements like cascading style sheets and javascript - neither of which I have any experience with - are now normal fare. There are also all sorts of goodies such as hit counters, clocks, music videos, guest books, and surveys that can be included by the proper placement of a snippet of code into the basic blogger template.

I thought I would test one of these survey sites today by asking a geeky yet fundamental question about your preferences regarding the behavior of links to external sites. One of the enormous advantages of a blog, as opposed to reading something on a sheet of paper, is that a blog is dynamic and interactive. If I want to direct your attention to some cool web site I've found, all I have to say is "click here" and you can go right to it. But then I run the risk of losing you if you don't come back after visiting the linked page, either by using your browser's "back" button or by re-entering my site address. Another option is to open the page in a new window, like this. With this method, my page stays open in its original window, and a second page pops up with the linked content. Some people find this convenient, but others think it's arrogant. In their view, you make visitors come back not by forcing them to stay at your page, but by offering content that makes them want to come back.

So let's put it to a vote. What do you think, readers?

Web Link Poll

Do you prefer links to open a new web page?

Yes, open a link to an external site in a new window. No, replace the current page in a single window. I don't know what you're talking about, and/or I don't care.

View Result

Free Web Polls

Thanks! Results TBA.