Reviewing the comments, most of the reasons for interest in this request seem to fall under these general categories:
- “Andy mode” (Sliding Panes) and atomic-notes workflows: users following a particular workflow where that behavior is most useful - preference for this behavior when working with atomic notes/“leaf” notes
- Forego Ctrl key: Not wanting to always hold (or remember to hold) the Ctrl key when clicking on files in the file list
- Hotkey and external open behavior: So that notes opened via another application (e.g., Alfred) or a hotkey open in a new tab
- Improved wayfinding/thought path preservation: Lower attentional burden on a user (presumably by keeping the original note present while new notes appear) - easy to get lost when following links, leading to time-consuming backtracking efforts - wanting a “trail of notes” to form as they work/browse
- VSCode similarity: Multiple mentions of similar behavior in VSCode
- Parity with browser customizability: Existence of a comparable setting (“always open links in new tab”) in modern browsers - [ed. note: also, a lot of links on websites these days open in a new tab even without that setting]
- Lower friction for mobile users: Multiple mentions of difficulty/friction for opening notes in separate tabs on mobile devices
- Missing/unavailable middle mouse button: Mouse has no middle button or middle mouse button is already used for some other function
I should note that I don’t have a particular horse in this race. I just thought summarizing the reasons scattered across the thread into one spot might be helpful.