Name is a text input field.
All I'm really trying to do is say:
if name's value is "name" then onfocus name's value is "".
BUT
if name's value is anything OTHER THAN "name", keep that value, don't change to "".

For some reason I can't translate that into javascript.. Maybe I'm tired?
Help!

Thanksss

var name = document.getElementById('nameQ');
    
    name.value = "name";
    
    if(name.value != "name") {
        return false;
    } else {
        name.onfocus = function() {
            name.value = "";
        }
    }
    name.onblur = function() {
        if(name.value == "") {
            name.value = "name";
        }
    }

any takers?

The problem is, you're setting name's value right at the beginning, so the

if(name.value != "name")

condition can never possibly happen.

it should be so easy... whyyyyyyy
there's something obvious that i'm missing.

var name = document.getElementById('nameQ');

name.onfocus = function() {
        if(name.value = "name") {
            name.value = "";
        } else if (name.value != "name") {
            alert('hi');
        }
    }

doesn't even work...

Try
if(name.value == "name") {

And it looks like you can ditch the elseif statement altogether.