Google Now Requires JavaScript AND Cookies?
Google Groups now require JavaScript
As of 2012-09-09, Google Groups now doesn't show content when JavaScript is off. Example: https://groups.google.com/group/comp.lang.python/topics.
The error message is: “To use Google Groups Discussions, please enable JavaScript in your browser settings, and then refresh this page.”
Google Blogger Dynamic UI Need Your Cookies!
New discovery.
In blogger sites that have dynamic interface, for example, [ http://xahlee.blogspot.com/ ], the site won't load unless you have COOKIES on too.
You need JavaScript on of course.
But the surprising thing is that you ALSO need cookies turned on.
This is interesting, because cookies are not technically required.
Non-Javascript Web Sites Are Now History
It used to be, that when a website requires JavaScript, and if your browser had it turned off, the site would warn you, and optionally giving you directions about how to turn it on. (similar with cookies)
I noticed, in recent months, that many Google sites don't do this anymore. The site simply fail without giving any reason.
Worse, even for some Google sites that never required js, but now ceased working. Google translate, Google image search, are 2 examples i recently experienced. (but i haven't done detailed investigation)
So what does this mean? some quick thoughts:
- Web has come to the point that JavaScript is accepted as integral part, cannot be done without. Those academic, static, sites, are now considered history.
- Google of course relies on dynamic web to survive, thus js. They, for political reasons, must push js, and HTML5. Vast majority of their product, their bread n butter, depends on js. So, the gesture of simply dropping error messages for non-js browser is a reflection of this.
While we can think about political motives, but i think it's actually a reasonable move. For those who know what JavaScript is and would take the trouble to turn it off, are like those who choose to lead a unusual life style. It is not necessary to tell these people that their JavaScript is off; they KNOW! Separately but more importantly, coding dynamic websites to take care of both JavaScript version and none-javascript version (For example, using basic HTML forms or other server based tech) is a pain and tremendous time drain. It's much more efficient for dynamic websites to assume that JavaScript is part of the platform. Also note perhaps 99.9 sites are dynamic websites today. One can still write static HTML if one wants, and it has nothing to do with this issue.