RE: CP, ISSUE-30: Link longdesc to role of img [Was: hypothetical question on longdesc]

David Singer wrote:
> 
> I think if we had the clear designs for providing the description of
> the video, we could easily decide; worse, that much of the current
> discussion takes so much time because we don't have a clear solution to
> the larger problem, and so a solution to the smaller has no foundation.

I had proposed earlier the following "design" (and please do note that the
proposed design acknowledges your point that there is *1* <video>
object/element, thus the string of attributes (properties) of that element:

<video controls
       longdesc="path to longer textual description which relates to the
Media asset"
       aria-posterdesc*="path to longer textual description related to the
@poster image"
         (formally firstframe=" path to longer textual description related
to the @poster image")
       transcript="path to full transcript of the Media Asset"
       poster="path to static image used as a placeholder prior to the
playing of the media asset"
       src="path to encoded media asset">
</video>

(http://www.w3.org/html/wg/wiki/ChangeProposal/Issue203) 

There are dependencies there, which I pointed out to the Chairs - they
rejected my idea as it was not specific enough.

David, if we had @longdesc retained in HTML5 2 years ago, we could have
looked to expand its functionality to be the means of a longer textual
description of the video itself (the media) - but the Chairs fear @longdesc
and cross the street to avoid it. It may be too late (or maybe not), but it
represents a possible way forward, so don’t be too quick to judge it (we
would have the added bonus that some screen readers today would already have
support, so a quick and easy win for *users*).

Continuing:

I have proposed @transcript as a semantic means of associating the
transcript file. (http://www.w3.org/html/wg/wiki/ChangeProposal/Issue194) 

I have proposed 2 different ways now of associating a longer textual
description of the "junior" image - the @poster image - and they get
dismissed as "crazy", or re-arranging deck-chairs, or wanting to cling to
old ways and minutia of little relevance. 

Believe it or not, I have been stepping back and trying for a larger picture
solution, while looking for reusable solutions that do not rely on the
Accessibility APIs alone (which all of the ARIA attributes do today - but
that is changing)

Have I missed anything?  I certainly agree we need a "whole" solution, and I
have been trying in my own way to address that problem, but when we cannot
get answers to a 2 year old question around a specific attribute (@longdesc)
it creates a log-jam in other areas as well, this being one of them.

I have tried to address this holistically, and welcome your feedback here or
elsewhere.

JF