[venturewise]

Now and again I hear of a designer who was told to redo a site because something doesn't work if JavaScript is turned off.

I'm wondering - how much of the population tries to surf the web without javascript? Are there any huge sites out there that use no javascript? Just wondering...

[freelancr]

I run Firefox with an extension called NoScript, it blocks javascript from all domains until you allow each domain you want. It is one of the most popular addons for Firefox, and has been for some time now. This is handy as it speeds up browsing as I don't have to wait for adverts to load up as they are mostly served up using Javascript, like Google Ads. It also prevents most of these dodgy ad networks sticking tracker cookies on your browser, or using malicious coding in adverts, which has fucked over many a social networking website user in the past.

You also need to remember all of the search engine bots ignore javascript as it saves on bandwidth, speeds up a per page crawl, and stops the potential of them being infected/exploited by malicious code. If your site cannot be browsed with javascript disabled, it will not be crawled, which is bad for SEO.

Also some special browsers like screen readers may have javascript disabled, though I am not sure as I haven't tested any. Either way having a site that does not work with javascript disabled is bad for accessibility.

[seen.to]

The functionality of your site should never rely entirely upon JavaScript. Personally I practice graceful degradation - that is to say that although I may use JavaScript to enhance certain aspect of the sites I make, mainly through DOM scripting, I do my best to make sure that the site is still perfectly functional without JavaScript.

[venturewise]

How do AJAX sites work with Javascript turned off?

Thanks for the replies.

[freelancr]

Originally Posted by venturewise

How do AJAX sites work with Javascript turned off?

Thanks for the replies.

Most don't, but they SHOULD degrade to a server-side version.

[haku]

A good Ajax designer will design the site (or have the site designed) so that it works without javascript, and then add the javascript over top.

I think that if someone is designing a personal site, or one that is fun, if the site doesn't work with javascript its probably not that big of a deal (although its kind of sloppy programming). But if you are designing for any kind of business, you run the possibility losing a customer because your site requires javascript. So in the interests of hitting as big a customer base as you can, its best to design a site to work without javascript, and use javascript to enhance the site, rather than be the site.

[sunitp82]

I rarely turn of javascript, I don't think many people do.

[woodss]

I'm wondering - how much of the population tries to surf the web without javascript? Are there any huge sites out there that use no javascript? Just wondering...

Google (and most other search spiders) don't have Javascript capabilities when trawling your website - if you rely on Javascript for navigation you might as well forget about decent SERPs

[niggle]

Yes, it's a good idea to add an extra third to the development time of every project because a tiny, tiny number of people turn off their javascript. And don't forget that some people surf the web with their eyes closed and some do it by simply shouting at the screen, so you'll have to accommodate them too. And what about people who don't own computers at all? You absolutely have to make provisions for them too.

With a bit of effort and by listening to enough people on this forum you can increase every project's cost by a factor of 100 and win every pennyless knuckle-dragging idiot on earth as a customer.

[weldo]

ha ha.

tit.

[iblastoff]

Originally Posted by niggle

Yes, it's a good idea to add an extra third to the development time of every project because a tiny, tiny number of people turn off their javascript. And don't forget that some people surf the web with their eyes closed and some do it by simply shouting at the screen, so you'll have to accommodate them too. And what about people who don't own computers at all? You absolutely have to make provisions for them too.

With a bit of effort and by listening to enough people on this forum you can increase every project's cost by a factor of 100 and win every pennyless knuckle-dragging idiot on earth as a customer.

yah ok. this is coming from someone who thought 'save for web' in photoshop would retain 300 dpi.

[roto]

Who pissed in niggle's corn flakes today? Sheesh...

[Larixk]

heard some it-departments disable javascript by default around their offices. So that might be a group worth considering.

Overall, I think applying javascript unobtrusively isn't just meant to help out those unlucky few with dumb browsers. It's helpful as well to improve the overall accessibility, robustness, search-engine friendliness, and maintainability of your site.

It's a good habit not a law.

[Do Gooder]

Originally Posted by roto

Who pissed in niggle's corn flakes today? Sheesh...

niggle has piss cornflakes everyday.

[haku]

heard some it-departments disable javascript by default around their offices. So that might be a group worth considering.

All the people on my team have javascript turned off.

[Dusteh]

Worked on a site for a large investment company in the city, they also had javascript turned off as default by their IT team. Pain in the arse because I use javascript to hide email addresses from the harvesters.

[niggle]

Worked on a site for a large investment company in the city, they also had javascript turned off as default by their IT team. Pain in the arse because I use javascript to hide email addresses from the harvesters.

Then why did you work for them? If you know that a client's behaviour is going to cause you problems, why take the contract?

[Dusteh]

You really are an unprofessional tit. Hardly the clients behaviour at fault was it?

[niggle]

Hardly the clients behaviour at fault was it?

Then it was your fault?

Perhaps you should have behaved differently then.

We make a point of not working with clients whose aims or methods don't fit with ours. I can only assume you're absolutely desperate for clients to have to take on jobs which you know will be problematic.

That's quite sad, I feel sorry for you.

[Dusteh]

In other words, when the client asks for their site to be W3C valid with no tables, you run a mile.