title: Why use jQuery data to store variables instead of plain JavaScript objects?
body: <p>Is there any benefit in using the <a href="http://api.jquery.com/jQuery.data/" rel="nofollow">data method</a> when I can just store variables in plain javascript objects? It seems to me that using the jQuery data method is performance downgrade if it means re-looking up the DOM element to retrieve the value of the key, if the DOM element has not been referenced prior?</p>
  
  <p>Sorry if this is painfully obvious to javascript devs, but I hope to understand this fully.</p>