Subtle changes, bugs and feedback

Yeah, there's still no clear wording for this kind of practise though — it doesn't mention ending up at the same end place:

Using JavaScript to redirect users can be a legitimate practice. For example, if you redirect users to an internal page once they’re logged in, you can use JavaScript to do so. When examining JavaScript or other redirect methods to ensure your site adheres to our guidelines, consider the intent. Keep in mind that 301 redirects are best when moving your site, but you could use a JavaScript redirect for this purpose if you don’t have access to your website’s server.

Like cloaking, this practice is deceptive because it attempts to display different content to users and to Googlebot, and can take a visitor somewhere other than where they expected to go.

It seems more about what content you're directing them to, rather than which URL you're directing them to, which just depends on whether they deem ‘microcosm.app/out’ to be content or not.

Murky waters indeed.