Didn't know about ActivePython, thanks for the ref.

I'm not saying Javascript is a bad language, I'm saying that there aren't any alternatives. The Model T is available in any color, as long as it's black, right?

Javascript is the de-facto standard for any DOM-based in-browser application. My question is: Why? Why, if I want to write an in-browser application, are my choices "javascript" or "proprietary plugin"? Why hasn't the open source community come up with something better than type="text/javascript"? Why can't I use type="text/python" or type="text/haskell" or type="text/ruby"?

It really doesn't surprise me that Target may have that many bad links. First of all, it could very well be bad searches that are getting indexed. More likely though is that they recently changed their online catalog software to one that uses a different URL schema (Thus, you know, invalidating their entire catalog). While a simple set of rewrite rules would fix that, I can guarantee you that no-one wants to pay someone to go track down all the old marketing redirects and update them. Defaulting to a product search is much easier.

HTML5 is kindof awesome, but even the most awesome technology is limited by the number of people who can use it. Unless the W3C or Microsoft or Google or the Mozilla Foundation manage to convince the world to upgrade their browsers with the speed that Adobe can upgrade the install base of the Flash Player, HTML5 is always going to play second fiddle.

Now according to Adobe, Flash Player 10 is at 94% adoption in mature markets, and that's about... what, 10-12 months after release? The HTML 5 spec was formally named in January 2008, and the original started in 2004. Admittedly- corporate IT departments (the big evil) are as unlikely to upgrade the Flash Player as they are the browser, but if it takes that long for anything to make it into HTML, Adobe will have already had several upgrade cycles to react, improve, and move on.

Having said that: we can always return to the days of browser specific web sites, and that'd force people to upgrade: "This website is optimized for [Insert favorite browser here], please change your browser".

'We have to mount a vigorous campaign to change this policy.'

There's an App for that.

We're surprised about Gates releasing thousands of bugs?!