Re: feedback requested on WAI CG Consensus Resolutions on Text alternatives in HTML 5 document

(1)  Is it OK to omit the Short Text Alternative if a Long Text
Alternative is provided?

Yes, because it fills the need?
No, because it might be "too long", and people won't want to listen through it?

Since there are plausible arguments either way, not everyone will come
to the same conclusion.

It would be best to be explicit with your authoring advice and the
reasoning behind it, as well as with the recommended effect on
validity.

(2)  Warning on alt="" without role="presentation".

Please be explicit on the reasoning.

Is it (as a later email suggested) an attempt to promote the more
general solution (aria)?  If so, that needs to be in the document, so
that people will more easily realize role="presentation" applies to --
and should be used with -- far more than just images.

Is it an attempt to get around alt="" pollution from existing pages
that use an empty alt when they shouldn't?  If so, that should also be
explicit.  And, as others have said, it *might* work because
role="presentation" is longer, but it probably will *not* work if
there is an on-by-default warning message -- particularly one that
just says "consider adding role='presentation' " without explaining
why.

(3)  Auto-generated text:   "(Note: It is important that this marker
is not included in the alternative text string itself.)"

Please be far more explicit in the reasoning.

I would personally want such a marker in my own pages, so that I could
later find the ones that still needed human verification.  If that has
to stay outside the attribute itself, then so be it -- but please say
that explicitly.

As a user, I would prefer to know when an alt text is auto-generated,
because it gives me some hints about reliability.  But I do realize
that I may be in an extreme minority here; if there are usability
studies saying that the extra time to convey that information is truly
annoying, then please say so explicitly.

Would it be acceptable for a GUI tool to add an extra attribute saying
whether or not attribute values had been verified by a human?

(4)  Use case 2:  Please make it explicit that the photo site MUST NOT
add role="presentation"; or at least not without user confirmation.

-jJ

Received on Tuesday, 18 August 2009 06:42:34 UTC