Pleasant Lifestyle

Recently, lots of people have been asking me ‘why doesn’t <insert web 2.0 related issues> work on my home machine?. They have tried everything, from crying at their keyboard to punching their monitors until they ended up in their local hospital.

The reason is actually pretty simple, Javascript, a very important part of Web 2.0 has been disabled on their browser.

In the long history of the Internet, Javascript was at one point considered the ‘evil’ code. Hackers would create web pages with Javascript codes to steal information from the users’ browser, without the user knowing. One type of sites that love to use this technique are the X-rated Pornography sites or other ‘undernet’ sites.

However with famous companies like Facebook or Google siding with Javascript, AJAX is born. This AJAX should not be mixed with Ajax the city, it is the backbone to our ever so funny Web 2.0. To identify whether your browser is Web2.0 ready, simply go to sites like www.facebook.com and see if you can move your profile’s little windows around. If you can then you are Web2.0 ready, else continue reading to enable Javascript on your Browser

To enable Javascript, first you must identify the type of browser you are using. Are you using Firefox? Internet Explorer? Opera? Or maybe Safari?

Safari is only available on Mac, so if your computer does not have the Authentic Apple logo on it, count this browser out. Oh putting one of those stickers that came with your iPod onto your PC doesn’t make it Authentily Apple.

PC (Windows base)
For all PC users, I strongly recommend Firefox.

Internet Explorer 5.x +

1. Tools menu > Internet Options .
2. Select the Security tab.
3. Click the Custom Level… button and wait for the pop up.
4. Under Scripting category enable Active scripting.
5. Click OK until you exit the options window.

At this point, all new pages will be Javascript enbled. Should your browser be too old to use the Web2.0 objects, the page with the Web2.0 objects would inform you so.

Firefox

1. Tools > Options.
2. Content icon.
3. Check “Enable JavaScript”.
4. Click OK.

Opera

1. File> Quick Preferences
2. Check Enable JavaScript

Mac users (OS X, hopefully :p)

Safari for Mac OS X

1. Safari > Preferences
2. Security.
3. Check Enable JavaScript.

Internet Explorer 5.X for Mac OS X

1. Explorer > Preferences
2. Web Browser.
3. Click Web Content.
4. Under Active Content check Enable Scripting.