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Comment by bdcravens | Hacker News Reader

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I know 10 years ago turning off Javascript was still a real concern. I tend to be of the mindset that in 2017 a browser without Javascript is like a browser without a mouse/trackpad - technically viable, but no one does it, so depending on Javascript is a given. Know of any good statistics on this however?

I am part of the 1.1% mentioned somewhere in this thread. If some page really and truly looks worth it, I do a click or two in uMatrix and enable the damn thing - for the originating domain, and then for external sources if it still doesn't work and really, really, really looks worth it. If it's clear that I shall be coming back, I make the exceptions permanent. But boy do I keep a mental note that the page is sub-standard. Approach worked well in 1996 (though no uMatrix), and works well in 2017.

1.1% of people have it turned off in one measurement: https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2013/10/21/how-many-people-are-missi....

A slightly more recent UK figure has it at less than 0.1%

https://blog.yell.com/2016/04/just-many-web-users-disable-co...

I like to avoid Javascript where possible just to build a nice clean fast page.

And 70% of that 1.1% probably browses HN. Perspective is weird.

I wonder what percentage of that is actually poorly written scrapers/spiders.

... most.

Oh, well, let's all drop everything and accommodate that 1.1%!

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