Re: HTML Action Item 54 - ...draft text for HTML 5 spec to require producers/authors to include @alt on img elements.

HI ian,

> Note that the HTML5 spec as written today _does_ require the alt=""
> attribute when it is at all possible to include it.

So does Anne's seminal HTML5 example of not including a text
alternative using the alt attribute [1], and reasoning [2]  for not
providing text alternatives, result in conformant HTML5 or not?


[1] http://anne.is.weggeweest.nl/image-viewer#2006,boston,9
[2] http://annevankesteren.nl/2007/09/alt

regards
stevef



2008/5/21 Ian Hickson <ian@hixie.ch>:
>
> On Tue, 20 May 2008, Debi Orton wrote:
>>
>> I realize that I am late in responding to this thread. Thanks to Steve,
>> Laura, et. al. for putting this together.
>>
>> However, I would like to add my voice to those of the workgroup who have
>> advocated for requiring an alt attribute for the img element.  I work
>> with several AT users who rely heavily on the alt attribute to find out
>> what information they may be missing when a page includes images, and
>> I've seen their frustration when no such information is provided.
>>
>> Considering what it provides for those users who need it, it's a small
>> imposition on developers.
>
> Note that the HTML5 spec as written today _does_ require the alt=""
> attribute when it is at all possible to include it. The question is
> whether we should require the attribute also in the cases where the person
> or software generating the markup has no idea what the image is. Your
> users would be just as frustrated, I assume, with an alt="" attribute that
> provides useless information (such as "unknown image") as if the alt=""
> attribute was omitted altogether, right?
>
> --
> Ian Hickson               U+1047E                )\._.,--....,'``.    fL
> http://ln.hixie.ch/       U+263A                /,   _.. \   _\  ;`._ ,.
> Things that are impossible just take longer.   `._.-(,_..'--(,_..'`-.;.'
>
>



-- 
with regards

Steve Faulkner
Technical Director - TPG Europe
Director - Web Accessibility Tools Consortium

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Received on Wednesday, 21 May 2008 09:52:17 UTC