SomeScript is a new extension by Tung Nguyen based off my YesScript, which was created in response to NoScript. A history lesson is in order.

NoScript came first. It’s an extension designed to make your Firefox more secure. It has all sorts of anti-bad stuff filters, including a feature that turns JavaScript off. I wanted to use NoScript to turn off JavaScript on sites that had annoying pop-up windows. I found that it took too many steps to configure NoScript the way I wanted. I was also mildly insulted by its assertion that browsing with JavaScript on is “dangerous” and its frequent updates that send you to the developer’s home page, among other things.

So I made YesScript. YesScript is designed to make the web less annoying; it doesn’t make anything more secure. It’s a JavaScript blacklist. The only configuration required is that you click on the icon when you want to turn off a site’s ability to run JavaScript. Click again to turn on. Nice and simple, does what I want.

A month ago, there was a kerfuffle between the developers of Adblock Plus and NoScript. As a result, SomeScript was created based on YesScript’s code to replace NoScript. SomeScript is a JavaScript whitelist, so it’s only a replacement for the blocking JavaScript portion of NoScript, not for the anti-bad stuff filters.

So, history lesson over. I’m glad that YesScript was used to create SomeScript. The developer had some kind words describing my code, too, like “clear”, “easy to read”, and “simple”. I’m going to stick with YesScript, but if you’re interested in a reverse-YesScript without all the additional baggage of NoScript, I recommend giving SomeScript a try.

I would actually be interested in a simplified extension that implemented the anti-bad stuff portion of NoScript. Something that would block common attack vectors automatically, without requiring configuration, and without breaking sites. I imagine this would be much more difficult.

YesScript is a JavaScript blacklist. It allows you to block specific websites from executing JavaScript. Unlike NoScript, YesScript isn’t meant to provide any extra security. It’s my opinion that Firefox is secure enough that a JavaScript whitelist like NoScript is at best unnecessary. YesScript is for preventing annoyances – certain sites abuse JavaScript by opening unrequested pop-ups, for example.

A single click on the YesScript icon in the status bar is all it takes; the site will immediately stop executing JavaScript. Another click will free it from this restriction. You also get a dialog where you can add and remove entries at will. That’s all there is to it – no complicated preference dialogs that try to scare you, no nested menus to navigate, no interrupting you with needless questions.