When JavaScript makes you want to scream
Ever run into some nuisances on the web caused by JavaScript? It’s a great programming language but it can cause some headaches – for instance, when a website won’t let users copy and paste text or right click. These annoyances occur due to the scripts written by the sites’ developers; although some scripts are helpful, there is a way to enjoy the merits of beneficial scripting while doing away with the kind that make you crush your mouse in frustration.
Kill Evil, an extension in Chrome, provides workarounds for unwanted scripting all across the web by disabling instances when sites:
- Restrict the right click menu.
- Don’t allow the user to resize windows.
- Force users to open up all links in a new tab.
- Prevent users from copying text, or if they allow copying, automatically include a citation link along with the text.
- Take users to a print dialogue box whenever they click “view print version” of a page or document.
The ups and down of the tool
The extension is a great solution and can be turned on and off in Chrome thereby providing users the flexibility to enable as they wish. At times, it can misinterpret some scripting and cause pages to work incorrectly, so it’s best for users to whitelist pages they visit regularly and denote their acceptance of scripting on the site, especially Google sites and services.
This way, Kill Evil can provide a more enjoyable user experience where site visitors can freely browse and interact on the web without being inhibited by Java scripting.
The Kill Evil extension is available in the Google Chrome Web Store and has a 4-star rating with upwards of 10,000 users. The extension puts the power back into the hands of the site visitors, preventing web pages from interfering with user clipboards, window sizing and impeding user actions while on the site.
