> This seems like an exceedingly mean-spirited and unconstructive

It's not, it's precise.

Sorry you wasted time writing all this, because I don't care about hypermedia systems - it's not that it's bad technology, I simply don't want to write yet another awful templating language. But that's just an aside, because once again you're talking about something else. But okay, let's switch to debating HTMX. My point then still stands: you simply need JavaScript. Now instead of this useless arguing, go find/build some big e-commerce website with this hypermedia stuff (or truly with no JavaScript) and then we'll see.