It's really not the end of story, and it's not your call except for your own web apps. JavaScript is an integral part of the platform that is the web, just like HTML and CSS. You might as well make the argument that "requiring a web browser for your app is not okay, end of story."
The comparison between JavaScript and a browser is very weak as a web app absolutely requires a browser, but JavaScript is most certainly not required. But, that aside, requiring JavaScript with absolutely no workarounds is a very bad idea.
Consider people who are sight impaired. Screen readers and heavy JavaScript really are not friends, but there is legislation in many countries that makes this basic kind of accessibility a legal necessity.
Things were a lot different 10 years ago, and perhaps your reluctance to update your understanding less than once per decade might explain some of your views. You may as well be saying "making a store than can only be accessed over the Internet is not okay, end of story, we all collectively understood this 25 years ago."
First, this is rude. Second, your comparison between JavaScript and click-only commerce is even weaker than your previous comparison between a web browser and JavaScript.
But, those points aside, the web was a lot different ten years ago. Ten years ago, I could browse the web with JavaScript turned off and I rarely came across sites that didn't work for me. When I came across sites that didn't work, they always politely had a <noscript> that told me that the site needs .js. Today, my experience is the exact opposite and basic accessibility has faded.
Change is not necessarily positive - no website should require JavaScript. And, I'd argue that most applications should work without JavaScript.
Screen readers a JavaScript get along just fine if a site is coded well. A SPA can be perfectly accessible. The Section 508 refresh is well underway and will essentially be WCAG 2.0 AA [1]
The comparison between JavaScript and a browser is very weak as a web app absolutely requires a browser, but JavaScript is most certainly not required. But, that aside, requiring JavaScript with absolutely no workarounds is a very bad idea.
Consider people who are sight impaired. Screen readers and heavy JavaScript really are not friends, but there is legislation in many countries that makes this basic kind of accessibility a legal necessity.
Things were a lot different 10 years ago, and perhaps your reluctance to update your understanding less than once per decade might explain some of your views. You may as well be saying "making a store than can only be accessed over the Internet is not okay, end of story, we all collectively understood this 25 years ago."
First, this is rude. Second, your comparison between JavaScript and click-only commerce is even weaker than your previous comparison between a web browser and JavaScript.
But, those points aside, the web was a lot different ten years ago. Ten years ago, I could browse the web with JavaScript turned off and I rarely came across sites that didn't work for me. When I came across sites that didn't work, they always politely had a <noscript> that told me that the site needs .js. Today, my experience is the exact opposite and basic accessibility has faded.
Change is not necessarily positive - no website should require JavaScript. And, I'd argue that most applications should work without JavaScript.