<div dir="ltr">I regularly browse with javascript turned off. I use NoScript. While it is a hassle, I whitelist trusted sites, but refuse script from 3d party sites. There is a bit of setup to do to whitelist sites. Scripts have long been abused. Browsing without js restores a bit of honesty in web pages, as a lot of the razzle dazzle crap code is not executed. I seek information more than eye candy. Cross-site scripting risk is near eliminated, making web browsing safer. You can also see which sites have added a whole lot of crap onto their script code and which 3d party sites they employ. This will colour your selection of credible web sites.<div><br></div><div>As well I intermix browsers as well as use Tor.</div><div><br></div><div>I encourage you to try it. Tilt the advantage to the user with the NoScript plugin.</div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Thu, 23 Jan 2020 at 18:30, o1bigtenor via talk <<a href="mailto:talk@gtalug.org">talk@gtalug.org</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">On Thu, Jan 23, 2020 at 3:37 PM D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk<br>
<<a href="mailto:talk@gtalug.org" target="_blank">talk@gtalug.org</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
> | From: o1bigtenor via talk <<a href="mailto:talk@gtalug.org" target="_blank">talk@gtalug.org</a>><br>
><br>
> | In this vein - - - - a contact who in computer terms calls himself a dinosaur<br>
> | refuses to allow javascript on his computers doing all his browsing on text<br>
> | based browsers. In his opinion javascript is a serious accident already in free<br>
> | fall. What you're sharing only emphasizes that. Maybe its time to join his<br>
> | anti Javascript position?<br>
><br>
<br>
Thank you for your response!!<br>
<br>
> The issues are a little more intricate.<br>
<br>
They usually are - - - grin.<br>
><br>
> Note npm is a repo (mostly?) for JavaScript to run under node.hs.<br>
> node.js is a server-side thing. It runs JavaScript on the server. Not in<br>
> the client (browser).<br>
><br>
> JavaScript itself isn't terrible.<br>
><br>
> What is unfortunate, I think, is the unfettered creativity JavaScript<br>
> in the browser allows web designers. They misuse it, just like they<br>
> did Adobe Flash previously. To some extent this is caused by the good<br>
> sides of JavaScript: how easy it is to learn, how easy it is to wip up<br>
> complexity, how easy it is for the page creator to take control of the<br>
> browser experience.<br>
<br>
>From what little I know what I"m thinking is that the browser user needs<br>
to have some tools to control what the browser does - - - - that seems<br>
to be unobtanium at this point.<br>
><br>
> What I was talking about was how easy it is to inject malicious code into<br>
> the ecosystem. That isn't actually the fault of the language. (It is<br>
> imaginable that one could design a language that prevented some abuse.)<br>
><br>
> In fact, the language+browser have been designed to limit the damage<br>
> that could be inflicted on the client side. The npn problem is mostly<br>
> server-side, I think (I'm not sure).<br>
><br>
> Making something easier (cheaper, faster, more understandable, ...)<br>
> allows it to be used more, often to excess. Unexpected side effects<br>
> can ensue.<br>
><br>
> - increasing efficiency of cars makes driving cheaper so people<br>
> drive more and end up using more total energy (gasoline).<br>
<br>
Our obsession with individual transportation has become a major cost<br>
factor in one's personal economy.<br>
><br>
> - computers became a lot cheaper. So a lot more money is spent on<br>
> computers.<br>
><br>
> - programming has become easier. So a lot more pointless programs have<br>
> been created.<br>
><br>
> - when I worked on optimizing compilers, I thought that I was trying<br>
> to make existing programs run faster. Then it struck me that it<br>
> allowed programmers to write programs in a simpler and clearer way<br>
> and have the compiler eliminate the performance cost.<br>
<br>
Interesting.<br>
><br>
> Here's a random example of npm use:<br>
><br>
> <<a href="https://www.electronjs.org/" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.electronjs.org/</a>><br>
> ---<br>
Thanks for the sharing!<br>
<br>
I'm wondering if there even is a way of reining in the wild possibilities in<br>
javascript in a browser. If there is it would be quite nice if this<br>
would happen<br>
quite soon. I'm finding that the web has become quite a frustrating and a very<br>
very far from useful place to look for things.<br>
<br>
Regards<br>
---<br>
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</blockquote></div>