Comment by Izkata
> I don't remember when the term javascript was even really used in regular vernacular
2004 or 2005. Gmail and Google Maps were a "holy crap this is actually possible?" for a lot of people, both technical and non, and was when javascript switched from mostly-ignored* to embraced.
*Just minor enhancements, outside of technical people mostly only known to MySpace users who wanted to add a little flair to their page. XmlHttpRequest was almost entirely unknown even in technical spaces until gmail showcased interaction without page refreshes.
Not sure why you're being downvoted, but actually yeah, this isn't far off from my recollection either.