...Huh. People have been talking about how they don't like javascript. But it seems kind've essential to things like mastodon. Unless, of course, you make a desktop mastodon application. Anyone done anything like thus? :/
@Angle there are a few in development, but other than tootstream i can't vouch for any of them https://github.com/tootsuite/documentation/blob/master/Using-Mastodon/Apps.md
We've been slowly talking about a non-JS mastodon interface for the browser, but it hasn't happened yet.
OTOH, I've seen the mastodon source code. My problem is with arbitrarily executing unknown/untrusted code just by loading a web page.
@Angle is the reaction to JS the language itself? Or is it the common practice of embedding tons of untrusted code (via ad networks) into most pages? Mastodon doesn't have the problem of the latter (yet).
@Angle it's essential for reactive client-side things. If you didn't mind reloading every time you wanted to see new toots or do anything, it wouldn't need JavaScript!
(I suspect a Mastodon desktop client would just be an embedded chromium webview anyhow, like every other service's 'native client')
@Jacel I was actually thinking of a desktop that wasn't. I had something like that for Agora once, though it's so obsolete now it's not even funny. :/
@Jacel @Angle There is an embedded Chromium webview client, which is what I'm actually using, but on Windows, there are actually several native or UWP clients. (None of the ones I've tried have been any good, but...)
In any case, there are ways to bring in new content without JavaScript, while using a web browser - good ol' meta refresh, for one.
@Angle I've got the stub of a desktop Masto client started, but it's low down on the project list.
Also, I mean, JS is necessary to most anything one does on the web? But it's bad. But it's better than it was. But it's built on a shaky foundation. But it's very usable. But but but.
@Angle Amaroq on iOS is all native Objective-C, and it's a fairly large amount of code (it's on github).
On mobile, it's inefficient to run a GC language, even one that can be JIT-compiled as fast as JS can. On desktop, JS in the browser is a far better solution.
@Angle I don't think you strictly need JS for mastodon in the browser, even. If you're willing to hit a button and wait for a remote page load for each action (including placing sigils and boosting), you could have a very retro web-1.0 browser-based Masto.
@Angle There is e.g. https://github.com/magicalraccoon/tootstream, and it also depends on how you count the more-or-less native mobile apps