web design question about image display

[ratcreature]

Back in ancient times (okay, three years ago or so) I used to have my website setup in a way so that images like sketches or fanart and such displayed in a new pop up browser window, because personally when navigating thumbnails that just open an image, not a real page, I like not to go away from the gallery page. However I then did a a poll on this topic, and the vast majority preferred thumbnails to open the image in the same window. So I changed my site to match that preference.

However now I just found a neat javascript thing, Lightbox JS, that displays images in an overlay on the same page. If you surf with javascript turned off it'll behave just like before, so it doesn't break the basic navigation or anything like that, it's just an extra. And I'm considering to switch my site's picture galleries to this. To show the effect I created a copy of my fanart page using the script, so that you can see the effect. Just click on a link to a piece of fanart, and if you have javascript enabled, it ought to show the image in an overlay with the page underneath darkened (and please tell me if it doesn't work for you for some reason, or if there are any display problems, like distortions or whatever).

So given this alternative to the images simply opening in the same window, and having to use the back button, which do you like better?

[Poll #1133237]

ETA: Just to clarify, this script does not prevent you from opening the image in a tab with a different click (at least that still works for me, it was the first thing I tried), nor does it hinder saving images or any of the other annoying things some image display gadgets will do.

Comments

[friendshipper.livejournal.com]

This is just a personal quirk, but I actually loathe Javascript and Flash-based widgets of that nature. I want to be in control of my browsing experience -- I want to be able to open a dozen images in side-by-side tabs, or stop something from loading if I clicked on the wrong thing or if it's taking forever, or save a favorite image to my desktop without having to resort to a work-around. (I realize that many artists take steps to stop people from doing that last bit, and I can understand why, really I can -- but when I see something that I want to add to my folder of artistic inspiration, reference or just pretties, I'll do a screengrab if there's something blocking me from getting the original image, with a side dose of annoyance for the extra effort.)

After years of using tabbed browsers, I command-click to open a link in a new tab by habit anyway, so the back-button or popup thing is not an issue for me.

(Edited 'cause I broke my HTML.)

[elynross.livejournal.com]

I like the javascript, but I admit that I usually open things like this up in a new tab with a middle-click. *g* But I like that it works to open the image in the same page, *or* just operates the regular way, if you want. That multi-functionality seems to me the best of both worlds.