[fiatjaf]

Not when the HTTP request itself is more complicated to do than actually reimplementing the thing in Javascript.

NOTE: If you are using a library for easily doing HTTP requests, than you can probably use a library for estimating time to read.

[tony-allan]

I like the notion that a service can continue to improve under the covers without me needing to do software updates to get a new version of library.

I know you can just include an external JavaScript library but I only do that for sources I trust.

[fiatjaf]

The service can also be discontinued. And that is what mostly often happens. Big improvements like what you're imagining are rare.