That’s my definition of business. 
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I think the more important issue (than whether links should or shouldn’t open in new windows) is making sure that people know what to expect. Whether it opens in the same window or a new window, users shouldn’t be surprised.
An icon can be added via CSS to target=‘blank’ links like so:
a[target=‘_blank’]::after { content:‘\2750’; }
It would also be a good idea to add a title tag that says ‘opens in new window’.
Well, that does add a bit of best practice to a bad practice. 
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Interestingly, Google does not open search results in a new tab or window. But…I mean… what could Google know about links, they’re not in the business of… …oh, wait… 
…links are a core part of their business activities. They seem to be doing fine as a company, but, this points to that thing I alluded to earlier: when the content is high quality, we always find our way back.
Anyway, there’s really no debate on what is the better practice. It has been discussed to death by heads far more learned and level that any of ours… to the point that the W3 has made a recommendation. We are free to observe or ignore it.
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You are thinking like a coder. Business people don’t think in terms of “correct”… their key word is “profitable”.
But I like the idea of adding a little icon to indicate it is an external link. I’m going to implement that on all my incorrect external links. 
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Coders rarely care about UX or accessibility…or any of all that. 
Carry on.
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On the user-end, I prefer links to open in new tabs so I don’t lose my place.
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In the meantime…
Ctrl+click opens a new tab.
Ctrl+Shift+click opens a new window.
Closing this thread as the question has been asked and answered. Any further discussion should take place on the petition.
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