Wow... I understand your point but if you feel that strong about gates using js on his personal website, it is a bit harsh isn't it? Could have multiple reasons why it is needed. Especially for someone with such a huge follower base. Lazy loading, tracking, client based adjustments, using a framework, fun [:)]... I could go on with a 100 more points why js might be needed.
I know that this is sarcasm, but there are people who really think this.
They get emotional (usually angry) when you tell them you disable javascript- as if every site that serves any kind of content has an automatic entitlement to run arbitrary code on your computer.
That is true, but it is very basic and depending on the browser how it is implemented. On traffic heavy sites, which I assume gates blog is, js gives you full control over what get loaded when and at the same time enables tracking how far the user read the article and which parts he most likely skipped.
I am not saying that this is good, however if you have these requirements js is a valid choice.
Basically no one has a requirement to track what someone else is looking at. In fact, if not given explicit consent by the person being tracked (like they've specifically sought you tracking it for them, e.g. marking their place), we should frankly criminalize it. Mass surveillance should result in jail time.
