Re: Question on WCAG Techniques Example

Hello Bruce, 

the editors of WCAG1.0  received this message (Wendy, Gregg, and Ian).

Yes, I can see how this might be confusing.  There seem to be a number of
issues here:
1.  The use of style sheets deprecates the use of spacer images (for
placement of text - as in the poem example).
2. The use of style sheets also deprecates the use of tables (for placement
of text and images - as in the 2nd deprecated example).
3.  However, since style sheet positioning is not supported consistently
across a variety of browsers these practices will probably continue for
some time.

I will add this as an issue to be discussed at the next GL meeting.  Now
that the Guidelines document has become a Recommendation, the group is
focusing on cleaning up the Techniques document.

thank you for your comments,
--wendy

>I am following up on a question I posted to the WAI ER IG.
>http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-er-ig/1999May/0041.html
>
>The current "Techniques for WCAG 1.0" document has the example of 
>> my poem requires a big space<IMG src="10pttab.gif"
>alt="&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;">here
>http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-WEBCONTENT-TECHS-19990505/#spacer-images
>
>I understand that this is a depreciated example, but is it an example of
>ACCEPTABLE html code?  I am confused by the caption which reads that:
>> Authors should not use spaces for the value of "alt" to
>>  prevents [sic] the words from running together when the image
>>  is not loaded.
>Am I correct in interpreting that the implied lesson is something to the
>effect that "Non breaking spaces  (&nbsp;) can be used instead"?
>
>As it reads now, the example would appear to be of code that is NOT
>acceptable.  This is, of course, odd since "counter examples" are not
>otherwise used in this document.
>
>I found an older version of this page at URL:
>http://www.w3.org/WAI/GL/wai-gl-techniques-19980918.html#spacer-images
>The caption here (the same example is use) is much more readable and clear.
>> In this example, an image is used to create a carefully defined space
>between words or graphics.
>> "White space" alt-text is used to prevent the words from running together
>when the image is not loaded: 
>But then the accompanying text explicitly allows
>> "white space" (alt=" ") alt-text
>when the newer document explicitly forbids this!  I am all the more
>confused because older document goes so far as to say (with a citation and
>example no less) that spaces and &nbsp; are logically the same as far as
>the content of ALT tags (and other CDATA) go!
>
>Please clarify this for me.  Please also make the clarification in the next
>version of the Techniques document!
>
>Bruce Bailey, DORS Webmaster
>http://www.dors.state.md.us/
>410/554-9211
> 
wendy chisholm
human factors engineer
trace research and development center
university of wisconsin - madison, USA

Received on Monday, 24 May 1999 11:07:52 UTC