[subsection1h]

JavaScript is required to read any article? Why?

The apps that I work on require JavaScript, but the landing pages for these apps do not. The content sites that I've worked on also don't require JavaScript.

Not once in my life have I been reading an article on the web when I said to myself, "Man, this article sure could use some JavaScript."

[pbreit]

Not once in my life have I ever considered switching off JavaScript. How completely silly.

[Eleopteryx]

It's not "completely" silly at all. For "normal" users, it's true that they may never need to do this. It's also a largely "safe" assumption that your site's visitors will have JavaScript enabled.

However there are security concerns when dealing with JavaScript. For example, if you've ever surfed the darknet, disabling JavaScript is highly recommended to avoid present and future exploits that could compromise your anonymity, funds, etc.