Haha, then we have even MORE fun confusion (on at least my part, and likely also on Jeff’s), in that you are complaining about a different issue from the one originally mentioned in the post. Zoinks! 
I vaguely recall, back when middle mouse buttons became a de facto standard, using this functionality. I have since obviously completely forgotten about it (and instead just resort to using scrollbars like a sucker - although I use trackpad gestures on computers that support it, oh how I love you trackpad gestures!).
For me, in Chrome on Windows, I can middle click on any old link I want, no problems. The only issue I am able to reproduce is the popup blocker warning when clicking on tracked links in Firefox for Windows (since I don’t have IE11 installed). Oh, the joys of cross-platform cross-browser compatibility testing!
I tried to start a new thread and was strictly chastised and told there was already a thread on the issue and to post here. My fault for doing as I’m told I guess…
Why, exactly, are you tracking my clicks?
Here is why, for example:
Well, counting clicks and tracking clicks are hardly the same thing.
Well, that depends on your usage of the word “tracking” - as in “tracking the number of times it was clicked”. We could get really pedantic about the usage here, but I think that’s starting to get a little bit silly.
It depends on what the meaning of the word “is” is.
And obviously, you’re using it wrong. 
But it was only the best butter!
Edit: woops, actual quote is “`It was the best butter,’ the March Hare meekly replied.”
Just to go back to first principles on this. Discourse is not creating pop-up windows. There’s some issue with the code in Firefox – specific to that browser, no other browser that we know of does this – that when you middle click body links, Firefox thinks that’s a pop-up window.
This is incorrect. It isn’t.
So, if you click the “Options” button there and then select “Allow pop-ups for bbs.boingboing.net” – even though these are not pop-ups, and BBS does not use pop-ups, you’ll be fine.
If it helps, you can think of it as a
Stop thinking bbs.boingboing.net is producing popups when it isn’t
option. Which you can set once and forget.
It is unfortunate, but body links are never pop-ups, despite what Firefox alone among all browsers might think.
(Note that you can set links to open in new tabs by default in your user preferences if you like, as mentioned earlier in the topic.)
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Thanks, Jeff. I edited the top post to link your workaround, so people could find it easier.
I’ve been using it on my work laptop (ubuntu/winXP dual) for a while and it works with my hardware.
Edit: three OSes and two browsers, works fine. As long as BB/discourse doesn’t do any real pop-ups I’m happy!
We are testing a possible fix for this, finally.
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Working for me, Firefox 27 on Windows 7, both patched to current.
I will test on linux etc. as I have opportunity, but I’m not at my normal location.
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I noticed the new behavior the other day, and was grateful.
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