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The Web Unscripted: A World Without JavaScript
In September 1995, Brandan Eich famously developed a new scripting language in just ten days. Initially, it was called LiveScript however, the name was quickly changed to JavaScript, and it grew up and evolved into the programming language we know and love today.
While enjoying my bank holiday weekend, I wondered what the world would be like if none of this had happened and JavaScript did not exist. I then decided to share some of these thoughts with you all.
In the early days of the World Wide Web, around the mid-1990s, websites were static, composed primarily of HTML for structure and CSS for styling. The experience was akin to reading a book; you could consume information, but the interaction was minimal. The web was a fantastic resource for information, but it felt more like a library than an interactive playground.
In this alternative reality, the scripting language known as JavaScript was never created. With JavaScript absent from the equation, the dynamic, interactive elements that have become integral to the modern web experience did not exist. This meant that the web remained largely static.
HTML and CSS could create and style elements but couldn’t respond to user interactions in real-time. This meant that elements like dropdown menus, interactive forms, sliders, and animations —…
