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‎post/README.md‎

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- [Busy Beaver Hashing concept](Busy_Hash.md)
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- [Me & Collatz](Collatz.md)
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- [Samsung Rants](Samsung-rants.md) ⚠️WARNING: slurs & obscene phrases!
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- [JavaScript abuse](js-abuse.md)
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- [Reply to "WWWorst App Store"](re_twwwas.md)
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- [Don't always be humble](esteem.md)
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- [Dogmas aren't always bad?](dogma_non-sentient.md)

‎post/js-abuse.md‎

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# JavaScript abuse
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> [!note]
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> This blog-post is WIP/unfinished.
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I'm not here to tell you "JS bad", because many people have already done that:
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- [`/denysdovhan/WTFJS/`](https://github.com/denysdovhan/wtfjs)
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- [`/brianleroux/WTFJS/`](https://github.com/brianleroux/wtfjs)
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- [YLS](https://wiki.theory.org/YourLanguageSucks#JavaScript_sucks_because)
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I'm writing this for other reasons:
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- spreading awareness of the crap that `noscript` users have to deal with, and how this effects "[normies](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/normie)" as well
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- venting, because I'm **fucking sick of this shit**
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- propose alternatives, for people with _good intentions™_
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- shame and mock entities that are incompetent, don't care, or willfully do this shit
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- a cry for help, coming from a developer who was forced to deal with piles of abstractions (React + Redux + MaterialUI + ReactRouter = **NIGHTMARE**)
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- the accessibility challenges of dynamic content
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- how this connects to [enshittification](https://consumerrights.wiki/w/Enshittification) and [bloat](https://consumerrights.wiki/w/Bloatware)
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Keep in mind, **I ain't a luddite**. And I don't hate JS in particular. I love when JS is used right! such as:
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- [Demoscene](https://github.com/Rudxain/RGB-digital-rain)
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- [Competitive stuff](https://gist.github.com/Rudxain/c06a6800807233fe6e74f179dda750a8)
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- Make [an abomination](https://github.com/Rudxain/ideas/blob/aa9a80252a4b7c9c51f32eda5c716e96220ed96e/software/evar/with_bf.js) for fun, and to [prove a point](https://github.com/Rudxain/ideas/blob/aa9a80252a4b7c9c51f32eda5c716e96220ed96e/software/evar/README.md#why)!
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- Even [coding as a form of art](https://gist.github.com/Rudxain/f4d2dd9b1c3e44a2eb4fb46ddf2a76f6#file-minimum-bit-length-js-L58-L77) ✨
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Notice how the "competitive" one abuses ES/JS behavior to optimize the size of the program. That's called _code-golfing_, and it's totally acceptable to break best-practices to reach your goal, simply because the result pushes the boundaries of what was believed to be possible, and that's _cool_, not _disgusting_.
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## Sources
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- [LibRedirect explaining why it exists, and how MV3 limits it](https://libredirect.github.io/faq.html)
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- [gluegle has beef with Firefox users](https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uBlock-issues/discussions/3240)
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- ["meta" inc, spitting in your face](https://github.com/Rudxain/uBO-rules/pull/9)
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- [`noscript` treated like 2nd-class citizen](https://github.com/Rudxain/uBO-rules/blob/42220bd4f80052ee15136dff7269df19529c43ec/rx.abp#L69-L76)
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- [websites being obnoxious to `noscript` users](https://github.com/iam-py-test/my_filters_001/blob/fc5f61eff0b0d821cb426bea76b18937072bc390/no-js-warnings.txt)
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- [disbloat](https://github.com/Rudxain/uBO-rules/blob/42220bd4f80052ee15136dff7269df19529c43ec/rx.ubo#L3-L19)
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- ["Enough with the JavaScript already!"](https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/enough-withthejavascriptalready/23262138)
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- ["Maybe we could tone down the JavaScript"](https://eev.ee/blog/2016/03/06/maybe-we-could-tone-down-the-javascript)
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- ["You don't need JavaScript for that"](https://www.htmhell.dev/adventcalendar/2023/2/)
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- ["You really don't need all that JavaScript, I promise"](https://www.kryogenix.org/code/dont-need-that-js)
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- https://jakearchibald.com/2013/progressive-enhancement-still-important
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- [Unobtrusive JS](https://www.w3.org/wiki/The_principles_of_unobtrusive_JavaScript)
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- ["Everyone has JS, right?"](https://www.kryogenix.org/code/browser/everyonehasjs.html)
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- [The humble "grug-brain" developer](https://grugbrain.dev) (this is for the "cry for help" part)
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- [Web Obesity Crisis](https://idlewords.com/talks/website_obesity.htm)
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- [JS bloat (2024)](https://tonsky.me/blog/js-bloat)
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- [Software disenchantment](https://tonsky.me/blog/disenchantment)
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- https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/javascript-trap.html
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- https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/wwworst-app-store.html : [I don't agree with this](re_twwwas.md), but I love the ending!
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> if you wish your site to give its users a taste of how the WWWorst app store feels to us, add to web pages you control the following JavaScriptlet:
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> ```js
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> document.body.textContent = 'Please disable JavaScript to view this site.'
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> ```
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- [🖱️Click ×4](https://clickclickclick.click): this is about tracking/privacy-invasion
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## to-do
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[These exception-filters](https://github.com/uBlockOrigin/uAssets/blob/30c5cbc78a4625ab02a1a1a52d898102da7eb58a/filters/filters-2021.txt#L4128-L4132) prove that enshittification effects everyone. I had to rewrite [one of my filters](https://github.com/Rudxain/uBO-rules/blob/42220bd4f80052ee15136dff7269df19529c43ec/rx.abp#L112) because I never allow JS on windowscentral, so I never need to prevent uBO from being detected. The uBO team is forced to design filters for the lowest-common-denominator, leading to sad stuff like that.
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If you visit any [Discourse](https://discourse.org) forum, you'll notice they have [graceful degradation (not PE)](https://www.w3.org/wiki/Graceful_degradation_versus_progressive_enhancement). However, if you visit it using a phone, you'll be greeted by this ✨ _wonderful_ ✨ message:
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> "HTML content omitted because you are logged in or using a modern mobile device"
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```rust
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for _ in 0..=u16::MAX {
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println!("WHY?");
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}
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```
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I'll ~steal~ borrow [a quote](https://blog.vaxry.net/articles/2025-dbusSucks):
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> Honestly, I am at a loss of words as to how to describe this without being extremely rude.
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## Unreliable color-scheme
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We need to talk about dark and light modes. Yes, this is **so bad that it needs its own section**.
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Let me preface by asserting that your page **only needs [1 line of HTML](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Reference/Elements/meta/name/color-scheme)** to support both preferences:
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```html
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<meta name=color-scheme content="light dark">
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```
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That's it! Just add that inside the `<head>` and your pages now can **automatically** ("dynamic" if you will) switch between both themes in *real-time*, adapting to user preference!
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This is not new, it has existed for many years. No need to worry about "compatibility"!
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I can already hear you complaining:
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> But the default browser stylesheet is ugly!
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or:
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> But I **NEED** my pages to look the same in all browsers!
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or:
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> But I have a _Brand™!_ I have my own stylesheets to theme my site!
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Fine, [here you go](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Reference/At-rules/@media/prefers-color-scheme):
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```css
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/* default light */
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html {
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background: #ccc;
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color: #111;
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/* etc... */
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}
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/* conditional override */
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@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
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html {
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background: #111;
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color: #ccc;
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}
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/* etc... */
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}
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```
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No excuses!
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> But I **NEED** it to be configurable!
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...why would you want that? It already is?
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> No! We want an obvious UI that allows users to choose a theme that doesn't match the browser!
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Again, _why_ would you want that? Are your users complaining about "lack of choice"?
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> No...?
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Then shut up.
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> But-
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**OK FINE!!!** If you insist, just use a [`<form>` element](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTML/Reference/Elements/form) to take input and send it to the server, then the server response should [set a cookie](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Guides/Cookies) on the client, to remember the preference. Are you happy now?
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> but-
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Now that the preface is done, [let me tell you how much I despise](https://youtu.be/EddX9hnhDS4) youtube!
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### youtube
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YT theme requires JS to detect preference:
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This is bad, but it's "forgivable" since YT needs JS for many things. However, it's worth noting that **YT remembers the last preference**. I know because the server returns a page colored like my last visit. This is better than other sites, which fallback to a hard-coded stylesheet (_\[cough\]_ disbloat _\[cough]_)
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YT theme **needs a full-page reload** to apply...
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wait, **WHAT?!**
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![](https://deltarune.wiki/images/Noelle_overworld_Berdly_shake.gif?cb=b5hyde&h=thumb.php&f=Noelle_overworld_Berdly_shake.gif)
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what 👏 is 👏 the 👏 point 👏 of 👏 a 👏 "dynamic" 👏 language? 👏
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seriously, **WHAT IS THE DAMN FUCKING POINT OF JS IF YOU NEED TO RELOAD ANYWAYS‽‽‽**
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**WHAT HAPPENED TO** _"[single-page application](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-page_application)™"_**‽‽‽**
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**AND THEY HAVEN'T FIXED THIS FOR YEARS!!!**
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And you know what's worse? That "Device theme" option (the one that "adapts" to your preference) **requires you to manually reload the damn page** just so that YT notices the change.
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Have they heard of [`matchMedia`](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Window/matchMedia)?:
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```js
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const light_query = matchMedia("(prefers-color-scheme: light)");
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// sync
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let is_light = light_query.matches;
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// async
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light_query.addEventListener("change", (e) => {
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is_light = e.matches;
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});
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```
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What kind of incompetence YT has??? No sane human should think that is "acceptable"!
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But nooo, [they're too busy fighting ad-blockers](https://consumerrights.wiki/index.php?title=YouTube&oldid=31465#Crackdown_against_ad-blockers), so they end up being ["resource constrained"](https://idlewords.com/talks/website_obesity.htm#:~:text=Google%20was%20%22resource%20constrained%22) to actually improve [UX](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_experience)
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Let's take a moment of silence to pray for our beloved YT...
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After a word from our sponsor! **RAID SHA-** 🔫💥
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### Wikipedia
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I respect WP, [I even like it](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Rudxain), but I'm sorry, nobody can convince me that WP is "struggling" to implement auto-color-scheme for more than 6 years, that's plain bullshit.
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The [CRW](https://consumerrights.wiki/) is powered by MediaWiki as well, and its theme is **fully adaptive** without JS. So why does WP still consider "Auto" an "experimental feature"? and why does it require JS?
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WP has **much** more money and contributors/volunteers than CRW, and they still fail to provide such a simple feature?
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I'm sorry, again, if anyone gets offended, but this implies that WP doesn't care about its users. And if they do care, they're lazy and incompetent. There is no other explanation.
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### Me?
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Roasting others is unfair, so here I'll roast myself, for the sake of "redemption".
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If you've visited my GH-Pages site, you'll quickly notice that I'm a hypocrite! All of my pages (except for RGB-DR) are either `light` or `dark`, even with JS enabled.
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I'd like to [blame Jekyll themes](https://github.com/Rudxain/Rudxain.github.io/issues/9) for this, but this is my mistake, and I have to deal with it.
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Don't worry, [I'm working on fixing it](https://github.com/Rudxain/Rudxain.github.io/pull/15)!
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## Not all is bad
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I don't want you, dear reader, to feel like a [doomer](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=doomer)/[gloomer](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=gloomer) after reading this. So here are some good news to give you hope!
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- There's [many people in favor of simpler web development](https://github.com/lyoshenka/awesome-motherfucking-website)!
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- There's [a big community pushing back against sloppy and/or corporate software](https://handmade.network/manifesto)!
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- Someone made [this parody (not satire) site](http://vanilla-js.com), lol
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- People do amazing things with only HTML and CSS:
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- [vereis theme](https://github.com/vereis/blog/issues/2)
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- [YDNJS](https://github.com/you-dont-need/You-Dont-Need-JavaScript)
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- [1HTML challenge](https://github.com/Metroxe/one-html-page-challenge)
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- [CSS Zen Garden](https://csszengarden.com)
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- SoundCloud (yes, [that one](https://consumerrights.wiki/w/SoundCloud)!): A few weeks ago, their pages now show _more_ content than before! (in `noscript`). Previously, it was just a generic page telling you to enable JS. I wish I could say they care about `noscript` users, but they don't care about their users in general. I guess they're experimenting with [SSR](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Server-side_rendering) or [pre-rendering](https://vite.dev/guide/ssr#pre-rendering-ssg)
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- [Deno making dark-mode work in `noscript`](https://github.com/denoland/docs/pull/2709)
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- [ESlint team concerned about accessibility and productivity](https://github.com/eslint/eslint/issues/20279)

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