I found that in the vast majority of cases, just opening in a new tab if I want to be sure not to leave the page will do the right thing. When it doesn't, well.. that's one more broken UI I'm not going to use again.
Thus, I always assume that any link will open in the same window, or do something disruptive, so if I don't want to leave the page, I'll middle click. Can't remember the last time that did not work.
But perhaps I'm just lucky, and all the sites I frequent have decent UIs.
Sure, there are workarounds, but in a UI, the defaults should be sensible, because the vast majority of users never see anything other than the defaults. Unfortunately, it is arguable that on many sites the defaults just aren't sensible.
YouTube's "see all" comments button, for example, doesn't load the comments inline with ajax, but instead loads a new page in the current tab, losing my place in the video and my buffer. (At least the paginated comments are ajax now.)
if I don't want to leave the page, I'll middle click. Can't remember the last time that did not work.
Middle-click has never worked on my laptop trackpad. (Also: posterous' lightbox script is borked)
Well, that's very much the problem in Youtube too. If you are on the channel page and watching a video there, you can't middle click on the "show comments and more.."
Thus, I always assume that any link will open in the same window, or do something disruptive, so if I don't want to leave the page, I'll middle click. Can't remember the last time that did not work.
But perhaps I'm just lucky, and all the sites I frequent have decent UIs.