Re: Issue 142: Video Poster [Was: Reminder: January Change Proposal Deadlines]

Thanks, Laura. This is valuable information.

May I amend my assertion to say that the need for alt text is not
controversial among the TF?

It seems to me we need to address the disagreements in the TF before we
take on any misunderstanding in the wider WG. 


I'm hanging on to this email for the day when we get our TF ducks in a
row on video poster, though. This is valuable for that.

Janina

Laura Carlson writes:
> Hi Janina , John, and all,
> 
> > Janina Sajka wrote:
> >> John Foliot wrote:
> 
> >> I have asked numerous non-sighted users and other accessibility
> >> specialists for their feedback on this issue, and almost without pause
> >> they all agree that knowing the text alternative for a placeholder image
> >> that *stands in* for a video is an important piece of data they wish to
> >> know/understand.
> 
> > I believe we all agree on this. If so, let's take this off the table.
> 
> >From reading the bug and the resolution, it seems that the editor does
> not agree that it is an important use case. It is a fundamental
> disagreement. I suspect other HTML Working group members will not
> agree either. They won't comprehend why any type mechanism to supply a
> text alternative for a video key frame is functionally required in
> HTML5.
> 
> The Editor's Bug Comments
> 
> * Ian's Comment to Everett:
> 
> "I'm confused. Why would you (a blind user) want to know what the
> poster frame is? How does it affect you?"
> http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=10642#c7
> 
> * Ian's Comment in his WONTFIX resolution:
> 
> "...why would a user with a visual impairment not want to know: well,
> why would they? Heck, why would a user with 20/20 vision want to know
> what the poster frame is? The poster frame's only job is to look
> pretty and manipulate the user into starting the video, what it shows
> is of minimal importance to the user. What matters is what the video
> shows, not what the poster frame shows...
> Status: Rejected
> Change Description: no spec change
> Rationale: The rationale provided is that text is needed to help users
> of ATs determine the topic and mood of the video. However, that
> information is not (necessarily) provided by the poster frame, and
> thus cannot be considered an alternative to the poster frame. It is
> also not an alternative to the video. It is the title or caption of
> the video, for which we already have a multitude of mechanisms such as
> title="", <figcaption>, <h1>, and aria-labelledby=""."
> http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=10642#c22
> 
> I suspect if the use case is not stated in no uncertain terms in the
> change proposal for HTML-ISSUE-142, it will be decided against by the
> HTML Chairs for the same reason longdesc was decided against. Longdesc
> was decided against by the Chairs' because, "The strongest argument
> against inclusion was the lack of use cases that clearly and directly
> support this specific feature of the language."
> http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2010Aug/att-0112/issue-30-decision.html
> That statement seems to be based on Lachan's argument in the poll. He
> said, "I strongly object to this proposal on the grounds that no
> compelling use cases - in fact, none at all - have ever been presented
> by advocates for longdesc..."
> http://www.w3.org/2002/09/wbs/40318/issue-30-objection-poll/results
> 
> John, please consider supplying use case(s) for ISSUE-142: poster-alt.
> A use case describes who can do what. It states a scenario from a
> user's perspective. No doubt it would be used to determine if any type
> mechanism to supply a text alternative for a video key frame is
> functionally required in HTML5.
> 
> Best Regards,
> Laura
> 
> --
> Laura L. Carlson

-- 

Janina Sajka,	Phone:	+1.443.300.2200
		sip:janina@asterisk.rednote.net

Chair, Open Accessibility	janina@a11y.org	
Linux Foundation		http://a11y.org

Chair, Protocols & Formats
Web Accessibility Initiative	http://www.w3.org/wai/pf
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)

Received on Tuesday, 4 January 2011 22:09:36 UTC