In reply to Philip.

That's entirely what it is. IIRC, this is why browsers came to use tabs and disallow a link attribute from opening a new window.

I use browsers the same way you describe, and that's the point -- we decide when we're going to get a new tab or window. Having the site you're on decide that left click (or a tap or spoken command) may or may not result in a new tab or window does not make for a good, consistent user experience.