Do we still need backup code for people who have javascript disabled? [closed]

Question

I hear about it a bit in tutorials that I watch, that certain things won't work if javascript is disabled. Occasionally I see workarounds.

The question is, are these relevent? I can't imagine anyone not having a javascript enabled browser nowadays, except the most ancient of phones, and chances are your page won't render on them properly anyway.

Do people still bother to write backup code for javascript being disabled?

Edit: As a test, I turned javascript off. Facebook doesn't work.

Edit: I understand about visually impaired users, but do people care (harsh, yes) if their experience is buggy? Not to sound disrespectful, but not sticking to strict standards will alienate people using Internet Explorer 4 and 5 too, but we don't seem to care about them...?

Edit: Saying that people should do it seems like a very automatic response, considering how many people use JQuery and other groovy addon libraries.

Edit: I tried a bunch of fortune 500 sites, and so far about 70% of the ones I tried have broken

Dell Walmart Fedex Intel Coca Cola 

Answer 1

Yes, we still need backup code for people who have JavaScript disabled.

• JavaScript is often used to do things that break in screen readers (so many screen reader users disable it) or to cause changes to appear out of sight of a screen magnifier.
• JavaScript is still one of the biggest attack vectors to exploit security holes in browsers.
• Add-ons such as No-Script are increasing in popularity.
• Search engines tend not to execute it (so you don't want to hide your content behind it)

I prefer to think of it as a foundation rather than backup.

I understand about visually impaired users, but do people care (harsh, yes) if their experience is buggy?

Nasty people don't.

The law (in many jurisdictions) does.

Not to sound disrespectful, but not sticking to strict standards will alienate people using Internet Explorer 4 and 5 too, but we don't seem to care about them...?

IE 4/5 have:

• a smaller market share than users without JS
• many security holes
• no support from their own publisher