Re: request a heartbeat publication of HTML5: Techniques for providing useful text alternatives

Using a heartbeat to do what it’s supposed to do — document for everyone what the current status is, even if the status is not recognized as perfect — would seem worth doing.

A heartbeat does not need to be ‘ready’ or ‘done’ or even ‘fully consented to’ (it is common to insert issue markers for points of contention). Indeed, we’d be going to LCWD and on from there if it were done.

It does need to represent the latest thinking of the producing group(s), i.e. be up to date on where the group is (and that can be ‘not yet in consensus on everything here’).

The trouble with “a day here, a day there” is it’s like my procrastination.  Months and years happen one day at a time. Let’s try to beat our hearts (and not our colleagues…)

cheers


On Oct 10, 2014, at 14:23 , John Foliot <john@foliot.ca> wrote:

> It seems that there are already multiple versions of this document located in numerous locations (which I find far more troubling than a date-stamped heart-beat status):
>  
> http://w3c.github.io/alt-techniques/
> http://www.w3.org/TR/html/embedded-content-0.html#alt
> http://dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/
>  
> Google also turns up this W3C branded document: http://files.paciellogroup.com/blogmisc/HTML5/textalternatives.html
>  
> That is, by my count, 4 unique instances of what purports to be essentially the same document, or a version there-of.
>  
> If having a definitive heart-beat document, complete with time-stamp [sic] is that important to others, will we also seek at this time to streamline this cacophony of different documents at different URLs? Otherwise it strikes me as a bit of an exercise in futility.
>  
>  
> As for timing… I am unclear why we have to do this NOW, right away, this week! We are waiting on a decision from the Director on @longdesc, and depending on that outcome, we may need to have some significant editorial changes added to that document. We've come along this far, and this long, with the document at the current status with no harm (Steve has already said he has not made any changes in months), so I am unclear on the sense of immediate urgency. Don't get me wrong, I'd like to see this finished up too, but what's the rush? Can we let the Director make his decision, and then we can set a publish date based upon that decision?
>  
> JF
>  
>  
> From: Steve Faulkner [mailto:faulkner.steve@gmail.com] 
> Sent: Friday, October 10, 2014 9:43 AM
> To: Grant Simpson; public-html-admin@w3.org
> Subject: Re: request a heartbeat publication of HTML5: Techniques for providing useful text alternatives
>  
> It would be extremely helpful to have a heartbeat draft. In my class, I integrate accessible techniques throughout the curriculum and when it comes to discussing text alternatives in HTML, I have been at a bit of a loss as to how to explain the current state of the art.
>  
> Note the latest version of the document is available here: http://w3c.github.io/alt-techniques/
> 
> Also if you want a stable draft link, the bulk of the material is also available in the HTML5 PR spechttp://www.w3.org/TR/html/embedded-content-0.html#alt
> 
> --
> 
> Regards
> 
> SteveF
> HTML 5.1
>  
> On 10 October 2014 16:38, Grant Simpson <glsimpso@gmail.com> wrote:
> It would be extremely helpful to have a heartbeat draft. In my class, I integrate accessible techniques throughout the curriculum and when it comes to discussing text alternatives in HTML, I have been at a bit of a loss as to how to explain the current state of the art.
> 
> TL;DR: +1.
> 
> On Oct 10, 2014, at 11:31, Gez Lemon <glemon@paciellogroup.com> wrote:
> 
> > +1
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> > Gez
> >
> > On 10 October 2014 13:01, Steve Faulkner <faulkner.steve@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Dear Chairs.
> >>
> >> In regards to:
> >> HTML5: Techniques for providing useful text alternatives
> >> http://w3c.github.io/alt-techniques/
> >>
> >> As It is unclear when  the document will be published as a note and what
> >> direction the planned changes will take I consider it a reasonable request
> >> that  a heartbeat draft be published by the HTML WG  before the new
> >> editor(s) start work on the document. In its current form the document
> >> accurately reflects the related advice on provision of text alternatives
> >> contained in the HTML5 PR specification [1]. The current HTML5: Techniques
> >> for providing useful text alternatives WD
> >> http://www.w3.org/TR/html-alt-techniques/ is 2 years old and is largely
> >> obsolete. I consider it an important of the review process to be able to
> >> have a stable up to date snapshot of the document in its current form
> >> available for myself and others who intend to contribute feedback as the
> >> document changes.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> [1] http://www.w3.org/TR/html/embedded-content-0.html#alt
> >>
> >> --
> >>
> >> Regards
> >>
> >> SteveF
> >> HTML 5.1
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > _____________________________
> > Senior Accessibility Consultant - TPG
> > http://www.paciellogroup.com
> >
> 

David Singer
Manager, Software Standards, Apple Inc.

Received on Friday, 10 October 2014 21:37:03 UTC