Right, HN does use JavaScript for certain functions, search etc. Now, if you read the second paragraph of my first post I've got such cases covered.

OK, here's the scenario: I log on to HN with JavaScript disabled, do all the things I do, read articles, submit posts all without JS. At some point I want to search HN so I hit the 'toggle JS' button on my browser, it then goes from red to green to tell me JS is now active. I then refresh the page and start searching HN. When I've finished I hit the JS toggle and the button goes back to red - JS is now kaput.

I really can't think of anything simpler - JS is off until I really need it and when I do it's immediately available without digging deep down into menus etc.

I'd add HN uses JS as it was originally intended and does so responsibly. I have nothing against JS per se, the problem comes from websites that abuse webpages and thus the user by sending megabytes of JS gumph and so on.

Running without JS and only turning it on when really necessary I reckon is a reasonable compromise.