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What’s the practical cost to having it?

From the horses mouth:

"CSS, JavaScript and HTTPS are not required. This site works in text and vintage browsers."

Ahhh!!!

I 100% get that. So you can boot up some old computer and grab retro files. Love it.

There's a difference between not requiring HTTPS and not supporting it at all.

Indeed. That difference is the unncessary additional work in supporting it.

Practical “cost” is that it raises the bar on clients wanting to access the material, some of which could be very old I suppose.

That cost only exists if you enforce https, which is different from supporting https.