With modern browsers [cough not IE-anything] you can configure this however you want, and override this choice on a per-link basis. But if you are using IEx and the link is targetted you have no choice.

There a a few fora I go to where the standard is links within the site open in the same window, outside links open a new window. I'm sure part of this is the old wisdom about how not to lose viewers, but I can also see the two advantages (when it is used responsibly): clear differentiation between internal and external links; and not having to click back through a long chain to get back to where you started.

The second issue is IMO outweighed by the fact that far too many poeople don't use them responsibly. I've been to sites where every single link spawned a new window. And no, it wasn't porn, it was just poor design. (I could see the "base" link at the top of each page right above the "generator = FrontPage" metatag.)

Which leaves differentiation of internal and external links. IMO people who can't already identify this through any of the multiple other UI hints won't get the difference anyway.

So (man this is getting longer than I intended) while I'm not particularly annoyed with them when they are done right (and you've done them "right") I wouldn't put targets in myself, even if it didn't take any extra effort. It's like popups: the utility seems to be outweighed by the potential for abuse.

Oh, take all that with [link|http://www.saltbook.com/saltyages/yan.html|this] or [link|http://www.shirtcountry.com/inc/pdetail?v=1&pid=1245|this], depending on your mood.