Re: alt text on Validator.nu image report

Philip Taylor writes:

> It would be harmful to users if these implementations started treating
> <img alt=...> as indistinguishable from  plain text (since that would
> lose useful functionality), so that should  not be the intent of the
> spec.

It would be harmful to (some) users if the spec mandated that such alt
text be indistinguishable from plain text, for the reasons you
suggested.

However I'm not convinced that it's necessary for all user-agents always
to distinguish it.  Given that many image-less browsers offer options
for tweaking precisely how images are treated, it's likely that
different users prefer different experiences.

Ffrom the point of view of authors providing appropriate alt text we
want them to consider it to be indistinguishable from plain text (in
terms of it being a true alternative).  What's the harm in permitting
browsers to display it as such?

Smylers

Received on Sunday, 4 May 2008 15:35:34 UTC