Comments on: What Is Unobtrusive JavaScript?

By: Ruud Hein

Ruud Hein — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 04:08:00 +0000

Thanks for asking, Cathy, and thanks for taking the time to clarify your question via email.

When you visit unobtrusify.com (the site linked to via the graphic at the top of the post) with JavaScript turned on clicking sections has text slide out. Turn off JavaScript and refresh the page and that text is visible by default.

In other words, the JavaScript people get the coolest experience but the non-JavaScript people don’t miss any information.

Hope that answers your question!

By: Cathy Reisenwitz

Cathy Reisenwitz — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 18:30:30 +0000

How is the graphic example unobtrusive JavaScript when the
links don’t work with JavaScript turned off? Isn’t that the mark of
obtrusive JavaScript? .-= Cathy Reisenwitz recently posted: Blogger
outreach link building update- Part 2- the reactions
=-.

By: Ruud Hein

Ruud Hein — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 01:16:11 +0000

In reply to Kris Scheben-Edey.

Thanks Kris.

I like the noscript tag but as it’s been abused quite a bit over the years I wouldn’t rely on it.

Thanks for stopping by and the kind words!

By: Kris Scheben-Edey

Kris Scheben-Edey — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 23:36:29 +0000

Great article, and continuation of posts on Javascript. While human visitors with Javascript disabled might be slim, the search spiders certainly give us the additional motivation to make an unobtrusive design.

One neat trick that can be use is the “noscript” tag, which allows you to write a separate portion of code displayed in place of a “script” (used for javascript) element, should the user have it disabled. This allows for visual functionality in Javascript, while also presenting an unobtrusive and search friendly version of the page to users with Javascript disabled.

Great series Ruud, Javascript cannot be ignored!