longdesc (was Re: use of aria-hidden to provide a text description not visible on the page.)

David Bolter  wrote:
>   Sorry a bit rushed here and I don't feel like I fully understand this
> thread.

This technique along with many other that have surfaced recently seem
to be a reaction to longdesc being dropped from HTML5.

No one has come up with anything simpler or better than longdesc.
Banishing an existing solution while not providing a better solution,
it not a solution. All solutions presented to date seem to me to be
convoluted hacks. The existing solution should have been improved (we
had bugs on how to do that [1] [2] [3] [4]), or the existing solution
should be gracefully replaced with a better solution.

The Chairs' Decision [5] states that:

QUOTE

This issue can be reopened if new information comes up. Examples of
possible relevant new information include:

* use cases that specifically require longdesc,
* evidence that correct usage is growing rapidly and that that growth
is expected to continue, or
* widespread interoperable implementation.

UNQUOTE

I have been researching and amassing use cases of Longdesc in the Wild.
http://www.d.umn.edu/~lcarlson/research/ld.html

Is this information grounds to reopen the issue or the basis for a
formal objection?

Best Regards,
Laura

[1] http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=10019
[2] http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=10017
[3] http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=10018
[4] http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=10015
[5] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2010Aug/att-0112/issue-30-decision.html

-- 
Laura L. Carlson

Received on Tuesday, 14 September 2010 20:57:09 UTC