Hackernews don't require javascript for upvote buttons. They work without it.
BTW hackernews requires javascript for collapsing threads, despite it can be achieved with checkbox/css or with the summary element. The reddit frontend teddit used it, and it worked really well. HN is basically the same as reddit, so it would work really well for HN too.
I don't disagree with you. I use NoScript which lets me selectively enable every JS source a site has ever since marketers and advertisers have weaponized it, and you'd be surprised what you find and what works with minimal JS. If anything, it's very educational.
You miss the point. non-necessity =/= evil, but it does require a non-evil reason. JavaScript could be used on a site for some neat rendering or game where it’s necessary to do that neat thing. Without such a need, the person is inferring the change now is likely nefarious based on other actions from the same company and their motives.
I’m not necessarily agreeing with the OP, but I can understand their point without naively misconstruing it.
The whole web is evil then. Hacker news has JavaScript for simple upvote buttons, is it also evil?