I've recently come across a lot of different articles and comments (too many to specifically mention) that seem to indicate that certain link attributes shouldn't be used. I've come to a couple of conclusions. A little knowledge about link attributes is dangerous. No knowledge about link attributes is extremely dangerous. Links can be corrected, however, with the right information at your disposal.
References
There are two pages at W3Schools which explain links: HTML Links and HTML <a> tag
There are related pages, but it's not necessary to get into them at this point. View the references, at your leisure, to get a basic grasp on link attributes.
Another reference can be found at Wikipedia: Hyperlink
Ready, Aim, Target!
The target attribute is one of the most misunderstood attributes, in my opinion. Some people say to never use it while others say to use it when targeting frames only. The argument that I've seen used the most is that the target attribute will cause other browser tabs and windows to open, which can then be mistaken for popups. This is only true if the attribute is used incorrectly.
The objective is to keep visitors on your website as long as possible, therefore internal pages should open within the same window. If you link to external pages, you want your page to remain open, therefore the target attribute should be used to open an external page in a new window or tab while your page remains available. If you don't use the target attribute, your visitors may click on the external links and never return.
Most modern browsers let the computer user determine how links are handled, either through the defaults or through add-ons. The problem is that most non-tech savvy people never change the defaults which open all links within the same window.
Are we related?
The "rel" attribute is an underused attribute. It defines the relationship between the current document and the target link. Not only is it underused, it isn't understood by most people. Its purpose is to allow external applications, like search engines, know what kind of link it's being used with.
An annoying relationship attribute introduced in recent years is the "nofollow" attribute. It's new enough that W3Schools doesn't list it as a value. I wonder if any entity besides Google really uses it. If you don't know what it's used for by now, you're probably already in trouble with Google.
Conclusion
A little homework can save you a ton of headaches. There's an old saying that goes something like "don't believe everything you hear". The same applies to what you read. As information becomes more abundant on the worldwide web, so too does the misinformation.
(Image source: BioRUST)
