JavaScript: Difference between revisions

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*[[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.~~

*[[wikipedia:Instant_messaging|Instant messaging]] (self-evident)

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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==List of sites refusing to work without JS==

The following is a non-exhaustive list of websites where most or all pages deliberately only work with JS enabled:

The following is a non-exhaustive list of websites where most or all pages deliberately only work with JS enabled, even when its use is "illegitimate":

*[[YouTube]]

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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).

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

==Benefits==

@@ Line 33: / Line 33: @@
 *[[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.
+*[[wikipedia:Instant_messaging|Instant messaging]] (self-evident)
 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 52: / Line 52: @@
 ==List of sites refusing to work without JS==
-The following is a non-exhaustive list of websites where most or all pages deliberately only work with JS enabled:
+The following is a non-exhaustive list of websites where most or all pages deliberately only work with JS enabled, even when its use is "illegitimate":
 *[[YouTube]]
@@ Line 61: / 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).
+*[[Discord]]. While its instant-messaging functionality legitimately requires JS, they refuse to let the user change their account settings (including security and privacy ones) unless JS is enabled.
 ==Benefits==