Simple poll to see a broader opinion on javascript usage on webpages these days.

I have it enabled all the time in my browser, but of course some javascript usage on sites I really do not like.

It does make some sites function nicely, but at times it can be slow, messy, and depending on what you are trying to accomplish it doesn't always work well.

I am more into the new Web 2.0 stuff, and the use of interactivity with Ajax and such.... It is smoother, and cooler if done right Still Javascript, but it feels different... and increases the speeds of your browsing, and usability (Though it can screw up your 'back button' usability). Poor Javascript is all that scrolling and annoying animation stuff. Oh and annoying window resizing and popup stuff, grrrrrrr

yep.. same with tweak and kev; to me java is basically like saying that car is ricy; it may look nice on the outside, but the inside is usually just a mess; every now and then i come across some nice ones, but those are the obvious simple ones, so i see no point in it really, and loading times, oh my god the loading times on some websites are just nightmares

I see no reason for it to be disabled. Especially since a lot of my work lately has been using AJAX which is really quite awesome.

I chose option 3 (although I probably should have chosen option 1 because it's not that bad at all - can I change my vote? ) because some people shouldn't be allowed to use java ever The amount of ham-fisted sites with java content that really shouldn't be there or is implemented lazily is amazing sometimes.
But really, java's nice, I have no problem if people know what they're doing :up:

just to make it clear, we're talking about javascript here - not java.

Mine's always enabled.
RE:Bad websites... Don't visit them?

Option 3. Even friendly sites can be bad.

I find it depends on the use. If it's used well then yes, I like JS. However if it's some pisspoor "I just raided javascriptkit.com and used everything they had" I dispise it and wish nothing put painful death caused by being gummed to death by a baby. Some people really shouldn't touch stuff like JS.

Always enabled but I don't always like it. KISS

KISS, isn't always the best option. I mean, look what Gmail did with AJAX, Digg and vBulletin with this quick edit box ... etc. If you need to do one single thing, it's better to do it with AJAX way than load the whole page again.

But doing something in javascript that html also has perfectly good features is ridiculous. E.g. javascript links, people doing them should be shot. ALthough, if (s)he provided plain old <a href> fallback, a reprimand is enough

FWIW I voted the first option, but this would be more correct:
It's nice, but I only disallow JS for crappy/ad laden websites.

I believe there are better ways of doing things than JScript. But if it needs to be used, so be it...option 3.

JavaScript has its uses and misuses, just like any technology. But it's not among my big worries when I visit websites. I voted for the first option.

(But don't you DARE to use Flash!)

I have to use loads of JS at my work, so I kinda know it's quirks and limitations. I'd still say it's nice if implemented right and in a sublte kind of way. As long as you don't have to validate large amounts of data () it's even reasonably fast as well.
Recently we do start using AJAX, though, and that's a really nice one.

I voted for 1), as I have it always enabled, and most of the time it's not bothering me. It's just when sites try to interfere with common behaviour, like disabling right-click, etc. then it gets ugly.

But to be honest Victor, I trust you the most that you don't implement bothersome JS

I'm indifferent, really. I like non-flashy sites that are readable and easy to navigate. Whether it's achieved by JS or not doesn't bother me. I only dislike it when it's in-my-face and I can't turn it off without losing functionality. Same goes for any web technology, though.

Quote from Krane :

It's nice, but I only disallow JS for crappy/ad laden websites.

It's enabled by default in my browser, but if a website starts using javascript to place annoying ads in the middle of the screen, then I disable it for that specific website.

I dont mind if Javascript is used to do some non-essential enchantments, but websites that are controlled by some custom javascript implementation are pretty annoying. They almost never behave like other websites, with things like the back/forward button, bookmarks, links and browser special features like opera's "open in background tab" not working as expected or at all. It leads to frustration for me as it is sort of like having to re-learn some new interface just to use that one website.

We are just making flash in uni, and damn this is so easy.. I'd almost call it a girl language lol
Just takes 2 or 3 lines for things where you write 10kb or more in JS...

However, flash-only websites still dont make sense, websites that load the content only by using jabascript are not really great either (for google), but much better than flash...

I guess everything sucks hehe

(very complex graphs could be done nicely with flash though, as you can save a LOT of bandwidth and CPU time)

As somebody who doesn't use Java from the programmers side and is just an 'end user' I find Java ruddy anying. I dont understand it, I dont like installing a gazzillion things on my system, and Java in particular I have to get from Sun Microsystems - but wait, there's loads of other Java's too, and it's got an auto updater widget and...

Well the damage is done anyway as I have it installed, but I would preffer it if the inventors of Java took their virtual supermarket (part of the press promo when it was launched) and shoved it up their TCP/IP socket.

I'm very picky about JS. In the internal apps I construct I'll try and follow the MVC - Model View Controller - way of thinking. i.e. If you're going to use javascript don't embed it in the page, make the JS rewrite the DOM when it loads. That way even when JS is off, the page will still work as expected.

Granted this does limit you in terms of design...

Quote from Becky Rose :

As somebody who doesn't use Java from the programmers side and is just an 'end user' I find Java ruddy anying. I dont understand it, I dont like installing a gazzillion things on my system, and Java in particular I have to get from Sun Microsystems - but wait, there's loads of other Java's too, and it's got an auto updater widget and...

Well the damage is done anyway as I have it installed, but I would preffer it if the inventors of Java took their virtual supermarket (part of the press promo when it was launched) and shoved it up their TCP/IP socket.

http://www.lfsforum.net/showthread.php?p=198527#post198527

hmm 30% for option 3. I'm surprised about that. Have javascript ads ruined that 30%'s javascript experience?

The way I see it, Javascript offers very nice additions to webpages. Not using is feels like staying in the stone age. Shouldn't we move on? Or is the problem that abusers will always ruin the exprience? (just like spam is ruining the nice things you can do with emails)
Just imagine future browsers that will have hardware 3d capabilities. Should we really stick with the basic html interface, where every page looks and works the same? Imo webpages should and will move more towards online applications. Don't look at them as webpages anymore, but rather applications that have interfaces of their own. Of course then you start discussing application style interfaces and there's a lot of different paths you can take there. Too long a discussion for here

Think about what you're trying to do before deciding how to do it:
Are you trying to get information to the user or are you trying to make a videogame?
On a typical website it should be the main target to deliver information. You don't need JS for that.
In a browsergame with hardware acceleration you'd use flash or Shockwave for that (f.e. Phosphor, a 3d internet ego-shooter in a browser with hardware-acceleration).
And where do you use Javascript? Usually you do when you think "I want to make my site cool but I don't know how". In the rare case you actually want to do something useful with Javascript you curse that language for being a general mess. I tried to work with it. I didn't like it. And I believe my computer thinks likewise.

Vain

I think websites should and hopefully will stay in the same familiar format as they do now. Not that everything should stagnate to state that they are now, but any evolvements should come the same way as they have in the past with most of the web changing "together" so that websites work mainly the same way as others.

The web has moved on alot during the years, and most websites are both much better looking and have better usability than some years ago. Modern browsers also have a lot of nice features that make surfing the web easier, many of which do not work as they should with custom javascript/flash/etc. implementations. Also 3D websites came and went with VRML and I dont think anyone ever wanted to use those...

When I go to a website I expect it to work a certain way I'm used to with other websites, it is similar to when I pick up a magazine I expect it to be laid out in a way that is familiar with magazines I have previously read. I do not need to examine it first to find out which way the pages open, and I can find the index of the contents within a few seconds.

Firefox + NoScript extension :static: