I try to make it a practice to check out links in the blog posts that I read. And, if there are multiple links, I look at all of them. However, some people make it a bit harder.

I also like to juxtapose what the link states with the content of the blog post that sent me to the link. And there are a lot of writers on AR that make it difficult. I especially like to compare when a writer posts a blog that says "This is inspired by Jane Doe's (is there a Jane Doe here on AR?) post on blah blah blah" or something to that effect. I especially like to look at both simultaneously when one poster disagrees with the original.

So, my request to posters,

Please, Please, Please, Please!

(How about that ? My first James Brown reference in an active rain post!)

Please open you links in a new window. It isn't just for my benefit but it benefits the writer also. If you are writing a localism post and you insert links, do you want the reader to just close the window after reading the link info. When you get them to your website and they click on the IDX or any other link, do you want them to just close the window instead of having your site or page left open? If you want them to come back and remember you, open a link in a new window.

Its really easy to do here, and anywhere else I have inserted links.

When you highlight text and click on the link  button above, a new window pops up where you enter the link. All of you that have posted links certainly know how to do this. But, please take a look at the box below where you past the link data!

Note that the insert link pop up defaults to "Open link in a new window". At least it does for me. That means that the author has to actively take the step to open link in the same window, to the detriment of many, possible even the author. (Ok, I can understand that perhaps some readers don't want additional windows opened up, but I believe that is relatively few.) However, if you pop up window defaults to Open link in same window" take that extra mouse click and hit the drop down arrow and select Open link in a new window. Please.

Or, am I the only one here that gets frustrated at this?