[smhg]

When I navigate back to HN after reading the article, I get a page 'more stories before you go'. At least the first time I opened the link.

How is 538 able to intercept my navigation away from their page?

[dclowd9901]

Specifically, in Javascript you can superficially push a navigated state into the location stack so that when the user presses the back button, it is now the inserted page instead of the “actual” one. Most FE devs consider this a dark pattern and refuse to implement it.

That said, it’s basically just the front end’s version of a redirect. Unfortunately it’s been used a lot especially by malware sites to basically jail people into their site.

[bscphil]

> Most FE devs consider this a dark pattern and refuse to implement it.

How common is it for FE devs to refuse to implement features that their employers tell them to implement?

[rvr_]

https://www.w3schools.com/jsref/event_onbeforeunload.asp

[graderjs]

No, it wouldn't be that. That can only prevent unload if it throws a native modal up (cousin of alert, confirm, prompt, etc).

I think what they must have done is push some URL to the history state, using the History API, to fuck with the back and forward buttons, enabling them to intercept when you navigate back, by having added an additional page in there, that you never visited, but that they can use to serve you this interstitial.

Just my 2c

[smhg]

I'm baffled any half decent site would use that. I expected some kind of new web/Chrome API.

That's a very "bold" choice of 538 if you ask me.

[kmonsen]

I feel like every site is doing it these days. Wonder if browsers should start blocking it.

[fyzix]

I think google should factor this in pagerankings. Might be the only thing that can force change

[xwdv]

JavaScript

[MrPatan]

JavaScript doesn't make websites shitty, people make websites shitty.