JavaScript

[timby_61]

Suddenly I cannot place a bid due to issues with JavaScript.

is there something I’m doing wrong on my end?

[eburtonlab]

@timby_61 

What browser are you using? A recent version? Have you checked your browser settings to see if you have javascript allowed?

Try another browser.

[rmgates]

I doubt he'd even be able to post a message here with JavaScript disabled.

[eburtonlab]

@rmgates 

As a test, I disabled javascript on ebay.com in Chrome and tried signing out and signing back in. 

If this posts, then javascript is not strictly necessary -- though it may be invoked for certain functions related to signing in. 

[eburtonlab]

@rmgates 

Interestingly, it appears that it is possible to block javascript on ebay.com and still use the site -- but if I disable javascript entirely, I cannot sign in at all. So javascript is necessary, but it is not strictly necessary for it to be enabled on ebay.com itself.

Presumably the sign-in page is invoking javascript using a different domain entirely -- perhaps akamai.com or something similar?

[rmgates]

That's amazing that any site today functions without JavaScript, I have a button that turns it on or off (it's off now), that's very good that they don't rely on it like most other sites.

I couldn't vote you up without it though, I got an authentication error.

[rmgates]

Pretty sure they use cookie authentication, I'm usually signed in and I never sign out, but since I reinstalled everything that has changed for some reason. Or else I did sign out, I'm not remembering right now. Point being authentication itself doesn't require JavaScript, but cross-domain (even to community.ebay.com) might. I sometimes have to sign in when purchasing for example.

[rmgates]

Just for information, I might be getting different results than you. I don't need to log in if I don't log out and I allow cookies for eBay. I closed the browser 3 times and haven't had to log in. However when I closed the browser, reopened it, turned off JavaScript, went directly to My eBay, I got a message saying JavaScript is required and I couldn't do anything at all. I restarted, enabled JavaScript and I was able to go directly to My eBay and I was still logged in.

Using Mozilla SeaMonkey.

[eburtonlab]

@rmgates 

Your results are similar to mine -- for that test I purposefully chose a browser that I do not normally use, so there would have been no cookie to keep me signed in. In the browser I use most, I rarely have to sign in.