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by robalni 1340 days ago
> I guess I understand (and respect) the argument that you only want to run code that you can vet and easily modify

This is not about me. It doesn't matter what most people feel or what they want to do. It's the situation where people are expected to run often invisible code written by untrustable people that is wrong. People should have the right to know and control what their computer is doing, even if they don't want to use that right. The current situation doesn't allow them to have that right.

> I think most people expect that they're getting some service (like a browser) by allowing developers to execute arbitrary code

The problem is that it's too easy for developers to use other peoples' computers for their own benefit when the current situation of the web is that people automatically let random people on the internet run code on their computers. It happens all the time. That's why they should not have this freedom.

1 comments

This is purely about your preferences. You're arguing for a world in which the vast majority of people give up something they really like in exchange for something they really don't care about. "Abusive" is quite literally the wrong term because the exchange (you run arbitrary code on my device, I get software I want to use) is helpful to most people, not harmful.
> the vast majority of people give up something they really like

I don't know what you mean that people like exactly but it's definitely possible to let people use software in fair ways so they don't have to give up anything. A lot of times the use of javascript is unnecessary so removing it doesn't make any difference for the user.

> the exchange (you run arbitrary code on my device, I get software I want to use) is helpful to most people, not harmful

It doesn't matter that the exchange is helpful if it happens in an unfair way. Compare this to prostitution. It's illegal (at least the other side of it) in many countries. But everyone involved gets what they want or need and the exchange is helpful to everyone, so why is it illegal? I guess it's because some people just think it's wrong and that it's an exchange that can't happen in a fair way even if everyone involved is happy with it.