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Re: Links opening in new windows

for

From: Karl Groves
Date: Aug 5, 2014 11:52AM

Thank you very much!


On Tue, Aug 5, 2014 at 1:24 PM, Andrew Kirkpatrick < <EMAIL REMOVED> >
wrote:

> There were a couple of different perspectives offered in the WCAG working
> group thread. It is worth noting that not everyone on that thread is a
> member of the working group, but even if you constrain the comments to
> people who are current members in good standing you'll find differences of
> opinion.
>
> Karl submitted the question to the working group via the group's comment
> email address (thank you), so the group will be discussing the question and
> will be able to offer its view on the subject.
>
> I'm sure that response will be shared here.
>
> Thanks,
> AWK
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: <EMAIL REMOVED> [mailto:
> <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Jared Smith
> Sent: Tuesday, August 05, 2014 10:49 AM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Links opening in new windows
>
> Karl Groves wrote:
>
> > Do you think 3.2.2 includes links?
>
> No.
>
> 3.2.2 is titled "On Input...". Links do not take input. It would, however,
> be a 3.2.2 failure if the user is typing in a text box or changes a select
> menu, for example, and a new window opens that they have not been
> previously informed of.
>
> > Do you think the warning(s) must be provided, as is the case in G201?
>
> Yes, but only if you're talking about input or focus.
>
> The example in G201 is incorrect. It uses a link with target="_blank"
> as an example, but it's already been made clear that activating a link is
> not "Input" or "Focus". G201 (which is an Advisory Technique, not a
> Sufficient Technique) provides a technique for something that is not even
> covered by the success criteria it is associated to! This would be like
> having a technique for color contrast associated to the success criteria
> for alternative text, except that color contrast is at least covered
> elsewhere in WCAG. A requirement that users be informed that links open in
> new windows is not.
>
> Clearly several in the WCAG working group thread you posted seemed to want
> to contort and reinterpret a success criterion (ANY success criterion for
> that matter) to somehow force this in as a new failure.
>
> Opening new windows is also not covered by 3.2.5. The other techniques you
> list (H83, SCR24, and G200) are quite a stretch in their applicability to
> this success criteria. 3.2.5 says that you can't cause a change of context
> that is not user initiated. Opening a new window at a random point in time
> would be a failure, but clicking a link is an explicit user request for a
> change of context and would not be, even if it opens a new window.
>
> In reality, links that open in new windows without previous notification
> can be confusing... but for everyone. It is a usability issue, but it's not
> something addressed by WCAG (well, at least the normative part, not
> counting these advisory techniques for which there is no proper success
> criteria).
>
> I can argue that there are situations where informing users that links
> open in new windows could make an interface LESS usable and accessible. It
> would be burdensome and unnecessary to indicate that all links open in new
> windows in Gmail, for example, where all links in messages do so
> consistently.
>
> Jared
> > > messages to <EMAIL REMOVED>
> > > >



--

Karl Groves
www.karlgroves.com
@karlgroves
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlgroves
Phone: +1 410.541.6829

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