Do we know that they didn't have some backend code handing the editing?

I don't think a web where every page is globally editable by default would be a good idea, but I can't imagine at all how it would work without a backend, unless all of the changes are just local. But that seems pointless.

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zabzonk 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> But that seems pointless.

Making notes for your own consumption?

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shakna 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Being able to change stylesheets, disable or enhance various JavaScript scripts, add notes and annotations, and other things, is exactly the idea of a user agent.

The user makes a request, and then does whatever they like with the answer. Not just whatever is sensible, but whatever they want to do.

If that concept somehow became accepted again... I think the accessible web might well become a solved problem, rather than an endless slog.

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idiotsecant 5 hours ago | parent [-]

In what way is that not currently possible? All browsers I know of you can edit whatever you want in any page you download

	▲	shakna 3 hours ago \| parent [-]
		You'll need to do a bit of work to make it the way it used to be. Editing any text on a page, or having your changes save persistently, needs a bit of a... Framework, to keep things together, rather than being the expected mode of interaction. Sure, I can add a p to the tree. But if I refresh, its gone. I'll probably need plugins to keep my own stylesheets and JS changes around.

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Kim_Bruning 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

HTTP has PUT and DELETE for a reason ;-)

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actionfromafar 7 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Upload the file when you are done, perhaps?