This is nothing new, JS just evolved the problem to the next level. Perl and CPAN had notoriously bad modules and each subsequent language has made packaging easier. And now JS is available with easy packaging or just by including a URL to the package. This problem is inevitable. JS just is the current most widely distributed and used language.

I think we have to learn live with crap code and find ways to surface the diamonds. A rating system for packages would be great. Maybe based on developer ratings, amount of contributors/community interaction, and number of unresolved issues?