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Comment by levesque | Hacker News Reader

Agreed on the overuse of javascript, although in this case I'm reasonably confident mastodon is not using said javascript to spy on you. Nevertheless it's something mastodon should try to fix. This is very much static content, no valid reason why it wouldn't display without javascript.

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If they can use it, then it's not a question of if, but a question of when. (something something law of big numbers, 1-(1-p)^t tends to 1, as t tends to infinity)

Anyway, it is a big step in the wrong direction, and people that care about web or privacy really shouldn't post on mastodon in its current form.

Wait, didn't you suggest using twitter instead right above this?

You realise twitter runs loads of JS, including all kinds of tracking. However unlike mastodon, twitter scripts are not open and reviewed.

I realise indeed, that's why I wrote twitter/nitter. I don't care about the openness of the scripts, since they don't run. Also someone compromise mastodon, and you can eat your open and reviewed scripts.

Let me repeat my point again: don't publish text on media that javascript walls it. It is so wrong on so many levels. In regards of privacy, safety, environment, speed, accessibility, etc etc etc, javascript wall is total bonkers, and should be considered as unacceptable.

Personally I'm genuinely interested about this issue. In the spirit of the infamous Dijkstra's Go To Statement Considered Harmful article, perhaps someone can write similar article on Javascript Wall Considered Harmful to be learnt and studied by later generations.

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