Re: Working Group Decision on ISSUE-30 longdesc

Hi all,

I want to register my disappointment at how ISSUE-30 has been dealt with
by the group.

The HTML5 A11y TF made the recommendation after much discussion and
debate, onlist, off-list and via F2F.  We are very aware of the pros and
cons of @longdesc but decided that its retention was currently the best
option.

To have it culled from the spec without even reference to WAI CG's
recommendation is to me unacceptable. Even the straw poll only has
approx 11 strong objections to the Change Proposal to restore longdesc
as a fully conforming attribute. Out of a group of 400 + members that's
hardly a conclusive landslide. [1] [2] [3] [4]

While my own contribution to the discussion (via user testing footage)
has been criticised as highly anecdotal -  I can accept that. It was not
however offered as a total cohesive defensive of the attribute, or even
accessibility (in fact none of the footage was) but as an informal way
of the group to get a taste of a single users experience of how
important the accessible web is to a user of AT. Unfortunatley the group
seemed to get the wrong end of the stick.

After the dust has settled from upcoming appeals and FOs I hope we can
come to a copacetic resolution and I have to thank Mike Smith for
helping to move the discussion along in a very constructive way at the
F2F in Birmingham.  [5] [6] [7]

Going forward, I hope that the recommendations made after deliberation
by the HTML A11y TF are taken more seriously by the wider group and not
unilaterally dismissed.

Josh


[1] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2010Apr/0180.html
[2] http://www.w3.org/2009/06/Text-Alternatives-in-HTML5
[3] http://www.w3.org/2002/09/wbs/40318/issue-30-objection-poll/results
[4] http://www.w3.org/WAI/PF/html-task-force#scope
[5] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2010Aug/0160.html
[6] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2010Aug/0027.html
[7] http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html-a11y/2010Aug/0044.html
[8]
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-html/2010Aug/att-0112/issue-30-decision.html

Received on Thursday, 19 August 2010 13:31:36 UTC