> And the security implications of AJAX scare the crap out of me.

I don't think we need full ajax to manage jquery, and render 90% of the web pages.
Like we don't usually need the asynchronous stuff, as Kevin pointed out.
The web page might load a tad slower, but it still renders properly.

As for fear, well, if everybody is afraid, or unwilling, or unable, then I guess I give up too, on edbrowse, which is really my only standing accomplishment in life, and probably on everything else too.
Sure, don't bother with xhr requests, leave 90% of the web pages inaccessible, and I can use edbrowse to write letters like this one and that's about all.
Whatever. I'll unsubscribe from this list and call it a day.
I didn't make any real contributions in math either, or science,
nor are my adult children in any way functional, so whatever.

> And what are the implications of doing that XHR stuff in startwindow.js,
> rather than native C? If you need it ported from JS to C, I can
> certainly do that, as I have enough familiarity with both languages.

Well we've all been corresponding long enough to know my answer to that one;
do as much as you can in start js:
it's about a quarter of the code, more readable and maintainable, and portable across different js engines, or even different versions of mozilla.
But Adam's answer is different, do more in C, so I don't know, but I appreciate your offer.

Chris, would you rather I, or someone else, took over the official github hosting and edbrowse.org?
I primarily passed them to you because I'm older and will likely die sooner, but if you don't want them we could transition them back to me, and maybe another younger person will take them over within the next 20 years.
I don't know - I'm gonna look for some Christmas pie to eat. Maybe sugar will make me feel better.

Karl Dahlke