JavaScript: Difference between revisions

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==Why it is a problem==

Many webpages (and even entire websites), force the user to keep JS enabled, otherwise they break or deliberately refuse to work. In 2026, considering the advancements in HTML and CSS technology, there is minimal reason why an average website (excluding real-time simulations and low-latency gaming) would ''ever'' need JS.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valkhof |first=Kilian |date=2023-12-02 |title=You don't need JavaScript for that |url=https://www.htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2023/2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260308161856/https://www.htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2023/2/ |archive-date=2026-03-08 |access-date=2026-03-19 |website=HTMHell}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Archibald |first=Jake |date=2025-07-01 |title=Give footnotes the boot § Footnotes on the web |url=https://jakearchibald.com/2025/give-footnotes-the-boot/#footnotes-on-the-web |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251220110553/https://jakearchibald.com/2025/give-footnotes-the-boot/#footnotes-on-the-web |archive-date=2025-12-20 |access-date=2026-03-20 |website=Blog - JakeArchibald.com}}</ref> The ~~only~~ valid justifications are:

Many webpages (and even entire websites), force the user to keep JS enabled, otherwise they break or deliberately refuse to work. In 2026, considering the advancements in HTML and CSS technology, there is minimal reason why an average website (excluding real-time simulations and low-latency gaming) would ''ever'' need JS.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valkhof |first=Kilian |date=2023-12-02 |title=You don't need JavaScript for that |url=https://www.htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2023/2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260308161856/https://www.htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2023/2/ |archive-date=2026-03-08 |access-date=2026-03-19 |website=HTMHell}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Archibald |first=Jake |date=2025-07-01 |title=Give footnotes the boot § Footnotes on the web |url=https://jakearchibald.com/2025/give-footnotes-the-boot/#footnotes-on-the-web |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251220110553/https://jakearchibald.com/2025/give-footnotes-the-boot/#footnotes-on-the-web |archive-date=2025-12-20 |access-date=2026-03-20 |website=Blog - JakeArchibald.com}}</ref> The main valid justifications are:

*[[wikipedia:Legacy_code|Legacy code-bases]]. As those are impractical to migrate to no-JS solutions

*[[wikipedia:Web_hosting_service#Static_page_hosting|Static web-hosting]]. As the developer has no control over the server, any interactivity must be provided by JS

*[[wikipedia:Instant_messaging|Instant messaging]]. For self-evident reasons.

Expanding on the tracking capability, JS makes it harder for [[Ad block|ad-blockers]] to block ads, since it can be used to make overly-dynamic ads. The data collected by malicious JS makes it trivial to serve [[Personalized Ads|personalized ads]], even across unrelated sites. Some sites collect so much data that they are indistinguishable from [[spyware]] (see also [[wikipedia:Keystroke_logging|key-logging]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Kashmir |date=2017-06-20 |title=Before You Hit ‘Submit,’ This Company Has Already Logged Your Personal Data |url=https://gizmodo.com/before-you-hit-submit-this-company-has-already-logge-1795906081 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260220091637/https://gizmodo.com/before-you-hit-submit-this-company-has-already-logge-1795906081 |archive-date=2026-02-20 |access-date=2026-03-19 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref>

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**The web app (<code>bsky.app</code>) shows this message if JS is disabled<blockquote>This is a heavily interactive web application, and JavaScript is required. Simple HTML interfaces are possible, but that is not what this is.</blockquote>which is questionable at best

**Its legal docs ([https://bsky.social/about/support/tos ToS], [https://bsky.social/about/support/privacy-policy PP], [https://bsky.social/about/support/community-guidelines CG]) need JS to be viewed by humans, however this seems more of an oversight than deliberate

*[[Discord]]. While its instant-messaging functionality does require JS, they refuse to let the user change their account settings (including security and privacy ones).

==Benefits==

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 ==Why it is a problem==
-Many webpages (and even entire websites), force the user to keep JS enabled, otherwise they break or deliberately refuse to work. In 2026, considering the advancements in HTML<!-- TO-DO: cite `<portal>`. I remember an entire website that demos/showcases the Portal API, but can't find it. `<portal>` fixed the fundamental problem that SPAs try to solve, with minimal (or zero!) JS --> and CSS technology, there is minimal reason why an average website (excluding real-time simulations and low-latency gaming) would ''ever'' need JS.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valkhof |first=Kilian |date=2023-12-02 |title=You don't need JavaScript for that |url=https://www.htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2023/2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260308161856/https://www.htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2023/2/ |archive-date=2026-03-08 |access-date=2026-03-19 |website=HTMHell}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Archibald |first=Jake |date=2025-07-01 |title=Give footnotes the boot § Footnotes on the web |url=https://jakearchibald.com/2025/give-footnotes-the-boot/#footnotes-on-the-web |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251220110553/https://jakearchibald.com/2025/give-footnotes-the-boot/#footnotes-on-the-web |archive-date=2025-12-20 |access-date=2026-03-20 |website=Blog - JakeArchibald.com}}</ref> The only valid justifications are:
+Many webpages (and even entire websites), force the user to keep JS enabled, otherwise they break or deliberately refuse to work. In 2026, considering the advancements in HTML<!-- TO-DO: cite `<portal>`. I remember an entire website that demos/showcases the Portal API, but can't find it. `<portal>` fixed the fundamental problem that SPAs try to solve, with minimal (or zero!) JS --> and CSS technology, there is minimal reason why an average website (excluding real-time simulations and low-latency gaming) would ''ever'' need JS.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Valkhof |first=Kilian |date=2023-12-02 |title=You don't need JavaScript for that |url=https://www.htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2023/2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260308161856/https://www.htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2023/2/ |archive-date=2026-03-08 |access-date=2026-03-19 |website=HTMHell}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Archibald |first=Jake |date=2025-07-01 |title=Give footnotes the boot § Footnotes on the web |url=https://jakearchibald.com/2025/give-footnotes-the-boot/#footnotes-on-the-web |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251220110553/https://jakearchibald.com/2025/give-footnotes-the-boot/#footnotes-on-the-web |archive-date=2025-12-20 |access-date=2026-03-20 |website=Blog - JakeArchibald.com}}</ref> The main valid justifications are:
 *[[wikipedia:Legacy_code|Legacy code-bases]]. As those are impractical to migrate to no-JS solutions
 *[[wikipedia:Web_hosting_service#Static_page_hosting|Static web-hosting]]. As the developer has no control over the server, any interactivity must be provided by JS
+*[[wikipedia:Instant_messaging|Instant messaging]]. For self-evident reasons.
 Expanding on the tracking capability, JS makes it harder for [[Ad block|ad-blockers]] to block ads, since it can be used to make overly-dynamic ads. The data collected by malicious JS makes it trivial to serve [[Personalized Ads|personalized ads]], even across unrelated sites. Some sites collect so much data that they are indistinguishable from [[spyware]] (see also [[wikipedia:Keystroke_logging|key-logging]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Kashmir |date=2017-06-20 |title=Before You Hit ‘Submit,’ This Company Has Already Logged Your Personal Data |url=https://gizmodo.com/before-you-hit-submit-this-company-has-already-logge-1795906081 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260220091637/https://gizmodo.com/before-you-hit-submit-this-company-has-already-logge-1795906081 |archive-date=2026-02-20 |access-date=2026-03-19 |website=Gizmodo}}</ref>
@@ Line 60: / Line 61: @@
 **The web app (<code>bsky.app</code>) shows this message if JS is disabled<blockquote>This is a heavily interactive web application, and JavaScript is required. Simple HTML interfaces are possible, but that is not what this is.</blockquote>which is questionable at best
 **Its legal docs ([https://bsky.social/about/support/tos ToS], [https://bsky.social/about/support/privacy-policy PP], [https://bsky.social/about/support/community-guidelines CG]) need JS to be viewed by humans, however this seems more of an oversight than deliberate
+*[[Discord]]. While its instant-messaging functionality does require JS, they refuse to let the user change their account settings (including security and privacy ones).
 ==Benefits==