I _almostalways_ hate it when a website opens a new window for me because I prefer to use tabs and/or the back button so I don't have 50 trillion windows up at once. Can you have the forums page open in either a subwindow of the main page, or in the same window with a small banner linking back to the main page. The banner background could be white with no border so it blends into the forum page (and not too deep so you don't have too scroll the forums page too much). Kinda like hotmail does when you open an external link, but cooler. Get it? Or am I just ... ...
Just an idea to help maintain my own personal sanity and subvert everyone to My browsing strategy
well here's my reason for opening it in a new window and this is probably just my preference I'd rather close a new browser window than have to go back. If it is opened in the same page I often have to click back several times before I get to the original page (in this case the gradpdf website). If I close it all I have to do is one click. Anyways...enough arguing haha.
If you use a tabbing browser like Mozilla or Netscape I'm almost positive you can open new links into a new tab. For the latest and greatest version of Mozilla (Firefox), all you have to do is press control and the link to get it into a new tab, OR press the link with the middle mouse button. Voila! you have now opened the forums page in a new link. I don't have Netscape or Mozilla 1.6 but I'm pretty sure this is how it works as well. IE users...sorry your out of the loop
Anyways, I'd like to hear others feedback other than cynikill.
I agree having to click back heaps of times is a pain in the ass and must be avoided. But firstly if I go to the forums I most likely won't be going back to the main gradpdf page, and secondly if I did wanna go back thats when I click on the "back to gradpdf page link/graphic" I suggested at the top/side.
I think the web default for inter-site links is to open in same window. Few exceptions. If every link you clicked on opened a new window you would have a million windows open real quick.
You're right I can right-click and open in a new tab and I do this when I want to keep the original page open for quick reference. But its always my choice, if I don't care about the original page I won't open the new link in a new tab and it opens over the original, if I do care about the original page still being open and expect it will be difficult to get back to then I right-click and open link in new tab.
You probably think i'm on ya case but ultimately I don't care. I just noticed it at first as being unusual and I stick by that.
The link to the gradpdf page from the biochem page has the same behaviour, is also unusual and ****es me off for the same reasons. Example. I want to check the forums. I can't remember the gradpdf homepage so I always go to the biochem page, click on the gradpdf page link - get window two, click on forums link get window three. Now I have three window to close AHHHHH the EFFORT!!!! and I don't even want to go back to the first two.
Burn baby, burn
(I wish someone else would have an opinion)
PS notice Beetlejz forums don't open in new window NAHA
okay i c where you're coming from but this is a special case in that it is a company that is running this forums for free. Once I get up the PHP forums (when I get around to it ) you should have that option. I tried to find an option for that like you said but I think I would have to create framed pages which to me are a pain in the ass to make right now since i've already designed the page. I'll work on it. Until then just chill out!!!
when a website opens a new window for me because I prefer to use tabs and/or the back button so I don't have 50 trillion windows up at once. Can you have the forums page open in either a subwindow of the main page, or in the same window with a small banner linking back to the main page. The banner background could be white with no border so it blends into the forum page (and not too deep so you don't have too scroll the forums page too much). Kinda like hotmail does when you open an external link, but cooler. Get it? Or am I just 
... 
and subvert everyone to My browsing strategy 
I'd rather close a new browser window than have to go back. If it is opened in the same page I often have to click back several times before I get to the original page (in this case the gradpdf website). If I close it all I have to do is one click. Anyways...enough arguing haha. 
