Javascript in and of itself isn't a detriment, but many of its uses are. That's not FUD, that's reality. If we're going to charge right into this Web 2.0 future of Javascript-only doodads, then there are a multitude of things which need to be considered, like "will a screen reader properly handle my JQuery popups?" [0] or "will a screen reader properly identify a DOM update and read it? [1] or "will a screen reader handle my password dialog in a secure manner?" [2]. And these are all with basic, HTML + bits-of-JS pages, let alone a full-on JS-only web app.

That second article makes an excellent point, by the way: that the concept of "interactivity" usually sought after might very well be a biased view of what an ideal interface should look like. Interactivity means different things to different users, and in the same vein can be either a blessing or a curse; it isn't a magical universal solution to all the world's problems.

[0]: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/18475332/screen-reader-jq...

[1]: http://www.sitepoint.com/ajax-screenreaders-work/

[2]: http://www.sitepoint.com/show-password-javascript-accessibil...