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What is JavaScript?
JavaScript is a programming language that allows web developers to create complex features like animated graphics, control dynamic web content, and interactivity to web pages. JavaScript is primarily a client-side scripting language and can be executed directly by a web browser. Almost all modern browsers use a compilation technology known as Just-In-Time (JIT), which compiles embedded JavaScript present in webpages to executable byte code to run. Therefore, a browser plays a vital role in the JavaScript code execution. Modern web browsers have JavaScript enabled by default, which can be turned off or disabled in the browser settings.
What is the use of JavaScript?
JavaScript is used both on the front end and back end of web development. It is also mainly used for web browsers and web-based applications. Incorporating JavaScript allows for interactive web pages and improves the overall user experience. To put things simply, JavaScript is an object-oriented programming language, making web development and designing more comfortable and more attractive. In conclusion, JavaScript is used to create interactive, responsive websites, enhancing the user experience.
How to disable JavaScript in Firefox
Disabling JavaScript in Firefox is just a few steps of know-how, not the most user-friendly method to get things done, though. Follow the steps below to disable JavaScript for Firefox;
- Open Firefox
- Navigate your mouse to the top of the Firefox window and click into the Address Bar, which shows the URL of the website open
- From the address bar, type about:config, and press Enter, which loads a warning information page in the screen center.
- Tick the box “Warn me when I attempt to access these preferences” and click the blue button, accepting the risk and continue.
- An advanced search bar will appear at the top of the page, right below the address bar—Access Firefox advanced settings from here.
- Type javascript in the advanced search field and search for “javascript.enabled” preference.
- Navigate to the search result, and click the “javascript.enabled” line to switch between the setting true and false to your preference. Note that if JavaScript is disabled, it will appear in bold text. The reason for this is, the browser default setting value for “javascript.enabled” is correct. And if default settings are changed, it will automatically be highlighted.
- By default, JavaScript is always enabled in Firefox as True; double-clicking on javascript.enabled line will change the value to False. Now the JavaScript in your Firefox is disabled.
- If you want to reset your preference to default, repeat the steps above to change the javascript value to true.
There are also other ways and means to disable JavaScript in Firefox. The most trusted and recommended method is using the Firefox browser only extension NoScript plugin.
- To download NoScript, connect to a working internet and
- Navigate to the Firefox browser Add-Ons website and explore the extension in the search bar.
- Install the extension to your browser and restart Firefox to configure it.
- With NoScript installed, Flash Silverlight, JavaScript, Java, and other executable contents get blocked by default.
- It gives users the option to run scripts on trusted sites selectively.
- The NoScript status icon is just a click away from enabling and disabling JavaScript in the Firefox browser, making it very user-friendly and straightforward.
The NoScript plugin delivers a guaranteed success against scripts running in the web browser.
Why disable JavaScript in Firefox?
Disabling JavaScript is primarily perceived as a security risk mitigation strategy. There are people out there in the world who disable JavaScript while browsing online. This perceived security and privacy issue is partly due to vulnerabilities and loopholes exploited using JavaScript in web browsers. However, this is not widespread and occurs rarely.
Disabling JavaScript also blocks ads from loading, thereby protecting end-users from aggressive digital marketing companies. With JavaScript disabled, fewer resources are needed by web browsers for output, thereby contributing to better computer performance. Disabled JavaScript also helps in preventing unwanted files and programs from downloading, which may harm your computer. Lastly, JavaScript is turned off in browsers because many times, it creates a bad user experience, where a lot of sites take advantage and pop-up new windows for digital advertising.
However, with JavaScript disabled, most webpages won’t load their full content appropriately, and you may miss out knowing far less than what is out there.
