QtD 0.1 is out!

[Nick Sabalausky]

"Daniel Keep" <daniel.keep.lists at gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:gmfujj$2t5$1 at digitalmars.com...
>
>
> Ary Borenszweig wrote:
>> Daniel Keep escribió:
>>> "No files in this directory."
>>>
>>> Well that sucks.  Oh well, I... hey, wait a second...
>>>
>>> *unblocks javascript*
>>>
>>> "No files in this directory, but there ARE subdirectories!"
>>>
>>> Sometimes, I really wish there was a way to electrocute people for
>>> making their sites break without Javascript...
>>
>> What? Why?
>>
>> A web like that without Javascript is awfuly slow and ugly...
>
> So... not having a scripting language would make pages run slower.
>
> ...
>
> I *really* hope you're joking.
>
> As for the "ugly" argument, that's bunk as well.  The only two things
> you can't do without Javascript is to perform dynamic positioning and
> visibility.  But you don't NEED those to make aesthetically pleasing
> pages.  Just go look at CSS Zen Garden.
>
> *deep breath*
>
> <tirade>
>
> I have no problem with having scripting available for pages in general.
> But what DOES make me spew LIQUID HATE from every bodily orifice [1] is
> when they use Javascript to REPLACE FUNCTIONALITY THAT HTML ALREADY HAS.
>
> Like the sites where instead of using hyperlinks, they use Javascript in
> onclick events.  Gee thanks, a**hole, you just broke tabs.  Thanks for
> dictating how I'm allowed to view your site!
>
> Or the sites where they "inject" the content of the page like this:
>
>> <script>document.write("THE PAGE CONTENT");</script>
>
> Or pages where they have forms that go over perfectly ordinary HTTP POST
> and use perfectly ordinary form elements... but the submit button
> doesn't work BECAUSE IT REQUIRES F**KING SCRIPTING.
>
> This sort of bulls**t is inexcusable.  It's like breaking someone's legs
> and saying "but now you can use crutches; isn't that great?!"
>
> No, you broke my legs you bastard!
>
> What's more, thanks to the plague of popup ads, ads that hang your
> browser for 5 seconds every time you mouse over the word "synergy" in an
> article, ads that show up in the same window but OVER the content, ads
> that play music or stream video when I'm on a QUOTA-LIMITED 'net
> connection, ads that start TALKING to you if your mouse goes anywhere
> near them or sites that just generally abuse the hell out of scripting,
> I'm amazed ANYONE browses the web with Javascript enabled by default.
> Frankly, if you build a site that utterly depends on Javascript to
> function [2], then you're an _idiot_.
>
> You want to use JS to make the site more usable?  That's great!  But you
> DO NOT break basic functionality to do it.  EVER.  If you can't figure
> out how, you're not qualified to be writing JS for web pages [3].
>
> As someone who used to do web development: anyone, **ANYONE** who does
> this should be taken out back, shot, hung, drawn & quartered then buried
> upside-down at a crossroads under a crucifix with a steak through the
> heart and a silver bullet in the head.  Then burn and salt the earth
> just to make sure.
>
> </tirade>
>
> Sorry about that, but MAN do I feel better.
>
> -- Daniel
>
> [1] ... to borrow a phrase from Ben Croshaw.
>
> [2] Obviously, this doesn't apply for sites that GENUINELY cannot
> function without Javascript.  Stuff like Google Docs or a Javascript
> image editor; that stuff is fine because HTML can't do that.

This is by far the best description/explanation of the evils of Javascript I 
have ever seen. It might sound a little extreme to some people, but speaking 
as another person who has done plenty of web development, there is 
absolutely no way to cover this topic *properly* without putting it in such 
terms. If the above rant is overly-*anything*, it's overly conciliatory. 
There's just no excuse for so many of the things that most web developers 
do.

Now if we can only nudge Daniel to give the same treatment to Firefox 3... 
;)

BTW, Daniel, if you're on Firefox, you need to install the Adblock Plus 
addon and set it up with some of the subscriptions here: 
http://adblockplus.org/en/subscriptions  I'm not exaggerating when I say 
that for a few months before I found that addon, using the web was so bad I 
was *very* close to abandoning use of the web entirely. (I have some other 
addon recommendations too, if you're interested.) In fact, that addon is the 
main reason I use Firefox as my primary browser even though I generally 
dislike Firefox. This addon still doesn't solve all of the problems with JS, 
but it at least changes to web from "completely unusable garbage" (and 
that's no exaggeration) to merely "frequently irritating".

Also, your footnote [3] seems to be missing...I'm on the edge of my seat 
here!!