Fwd: Use of ALT=" " (containing a space) contradicts F30

Mark pointed out that we have a similar note in
F38<http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20-TECHS/F38.html>and
F39 <http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20-TECHS/F39.html>, and by the reasoning
that led to the resolution of Issue
LC-2723<https://www.w3.org/2002/09/wbs/35422/20130117misc/results#x2723>,
we plan to remove the note from those failures as well. Please let us know
if you have any objection to this.

There is still an open issue on how to update
F30<http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/WCAG20-TECHS/F30.html>
.

Loretta



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Loretta Guarino Reid <lorettaguarino@google.com>
Date: Tue, Jan 22, 2013 at 6:42 PM
Subject: Re: Use of ALT=" " (containing a space) contradicts F30
To: mark.rogers@powermapper.com
Cc: public-comments-wcag20@w3.org


On Mon, Nov 19, 2012 at 2:33 AM, <noreply@w3.org> wrote:

> Name: Mark Rogers
> Email: mark.rogers@powermapper.com
> Affiliation: Powermapper Software Limited
> Document: TD
> Item Number: H67
> Part of Item: Applicability
> Comment Type: general comment
> Summary of Issue: Use of ALT=" " (containing a space) contradicts F30
> Comment (Including rationale for any proposed change):
> H67 says
> Note: Although alt=" " is also valid, alt="" is recommended
>
> F30 says
> Examples of text that are not text alternatives include: placeholder text
> such as " "
>
> These statements contradict each other.
>
> Proposed Change:
> In recent versions of JAWS and NVDA empty ALT="" works as expected (image
> is ignored) but ALT=" " (single space ALT) causes the URL of the image to
> be read out.
>
> Remove note in H67 saying ALT=" " is also valid, since it appears to cause
> active harm.
>
>
>
> ================================
Response from the Working Group
================================
Thank you. We have removed the note from H67.


Loretta Guarino Reid, WCAG WG Co-Chair
Gregg Vanderheiden, WCAG WG Co-Chair
Michael Cooper, WCAG WG Staff Contact


On behalf of the WCAG Working Group