On desktop, target="_blank" link should open new windows, not background tabs

[Dario Cavedon]

In webbrowser-app, when you share a web page using the "share buttons", you get the wrong tab: you remain on the same tab instead being on the new tab.
You can reproduce the bug every time, e.g.:
1) open the link http://arstechnica.com/science/2015/12/space-for-europe-and-for-all-humankind-a-brief-history-of-the-esa/
2) click on the "social button Twitter" (see attacchment "1")
3) the webbrowser-app opens a new tab, but you remain on the first one (see "2")
4) if you click on the first tab, you refresh it so you can see the page (see "3")
5) if you click on the second tab, you can see the right page, and you can share the link (see "4")

Happens with webbrowser-app 0.23+15.10.20150929-0ubuntu1 on Ubuntu 15.10 desktop and Ubuntu Phone OTA 8.5.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

It’s not a focus issue. The problem is that clicking the "Tweet" button requests opening the page in a popup window, which the browser doesn’t allow, so it falls back to opening it in a background tab. On desktop we plan to eventually support multiple windows (although the exact scope of the feature is still to be defined). On a phone, this would be the expected behaviour.

[Dario Cavedon (dcavedon)]

"On a phone, this would be the expected behaviour."

On a phone, I think it would be better if it opens a new tab (OK), and your focus is on that new tab. I think it's better, because if you're on your phone, and you click on the "twitter button", you can't immediatly realize if your click was ok. Somebody could click two o three time before realizing that webbrowser app already open two or three new tabs.

This is what actually happens with Firefox on Android and even with Explorer on Windows Phone. A new Ubuntu Phone user - coming from that user experience - should expect it.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

Allowing popup windows to open in a foreground tab is probably not a good idea, think aggressive advertising and phishing.
What we really need is a UI animation when a background tab is being open so that the user knows it happened, and knows where to look for it. This is partially related to bug #1351205.

[Dario Cavedon (dcavedon)]

Good point. Maybe it only need a little blinking animation at the bottom of the browser, where you see the number of the open tabs (see my awful-five-minutes-attachment). And in the desktop view, the new background tab could blink for a two seconds.

[Olivier Tilloy (osomon)]

That’s an interesting suggestion, I’m adding an ubuntu-ux task to the bug so that the design team can have a look and comment. Thanks Dario!