[jonathan lall]

Wow, that's unfortunately-worded to the point that the website judges themselves are going to struggle with it.

Some web design theory here: Using the analogy of a book, the text of manuscript is the HTML, the bindings, typography, and imagery are the CSS, and your eyeglasses are the browser. Why do I need another pair of glasses to read Chapter Two?

Good semantic HTML coding never, ever, opens a new window. Ever. Any consumer with half a brain, perhaps less, can do that himself when he wants to, and can tell when he's leaving a site (thus negating the helping hand webmasters might think they're giving when they open external links in a new window). It's almost pretentious to say that your website should remain open for some reason when someone clicks on a link (a link to what they really want to see), but at least when it's an external link using a new window makes some sense.

As a site controls the client's user interface, more and more confusing things are liable to occur. In this specific case, the site also breaks the Back button. At the very least, a warning (even an icon beside a link) should inform the user that the HTML document is about to take control of his browser. While I acknowledge and agree with the fact that new windows are a personal decision on the webmaster's part, if he wants to code cleanly, and strictly by the book (where HTML is just semantic information, CSS is presentational, and the user agent is a reader), he must not use new windows or popups. I doubt most of the website judges will know or pay heed to this however.