A short essay on popup windows

[doh]

Can be read here. I'm looking for feedback. Technical feedback as well as grammar and spelling.

Thanks...

(IE users can try this link instead to try and fix IE bugs in CSS rendering with respects to the menu.)

 

[Tawnos]

You're going to hate me...

In the Web's early years, there

Techniques included using frames to keep links outside the website from displaying the address in the browser's location editor.

"location editor" doesn't sound right. Perhaps "from displaying their address."

Other tehcniques

typo, though it might be better to replace this with "Also, sites often used target..."

thus keeping the linker's site visible

Lose "thus." Visible might be better worded as "open in the background."

The later technique

latter would be a better choice

Usually there is no reason

Either Usually, or "There is usually"

But there are some handy cases when a simple info window can add a lot to a website. But there are several caveats that one must be aware of before blindly adding popup windows.

1) you started a sentence with a conjunction
2) You started two sentences in the same paragraph using the same word.
I'd recommend: "However, there are some handy cases when a simple info can add to a website." (lose "a lot" as well). "Beware the following caveats before blindly..."

not support JavaScript, or when the

Obviously, this

Using target="_blank" is valid in instances when the DTD supports it (Non-XHTML, except for Transitional) but breaks the browser's back button; it is important (especially in cases of accessibility) to leave the user's web browser functioning as the user would expect. I.e., pressing the back button to return to the previous page. Further objections to this method (and popups in general) include an argument which states that it is not the webmaster's place to dictate how the user's web browser functions. That is, the webmaster shouldn't be controlling the browser - only the content on the webpage.

Ugly sentences (also a run on). I'd recommend "Using target="_blank" is valid in instances when the DTD supports it (Non-XHTML, except for transitional). However, this breaks the user's back button, and it is important to leave the browser functioning as expected. Moreover, many (myself included) would argue it is not the webmaster's place to dictate how the user's browser functions, only the served content. As the web moves into versions of XHTML that obsolete the target="_blank", this becomes less and less an option."

The solution I use is javascript based but can gracefully fall back and open the wouldbe-popup in the current window. A sample code is below...

"I use a javascript-based solution that can fall back and open the would-be popup in the current window. Sample code follows:"

For instance, Internet Explorer

will not pass the referrer on to the server when the popup is used whereas every other browser will.

"will not pass the referer to the server with a popup, but every other browser will." (the spelling of referer there is intentional...)

Note that Internet Explorer also fails on this simple JavaScript (likely because I have omitted parameters in window.open). However, IE still goes to the link, which validates my graceful fallback argument.

changes included in the quote...