Re: Automatic Alt Text Generation

Yes.

Briefly:

PNG has such a capability (embed metadata in the image file).

RDF is in general viewed as how we would standardize the data
dictionary and/or information model for the information to be
bound in in that way.

There have been proposals for filename conventions to put
metadata in parallel files but I think that is not reliable
enough.

Host capabilities to annotate persistent objects will vary among
hosts.  That is why to create an abstract information model and
let author tools and servers query the persistent metadata via
physical methods that are localized to the host.  Consider the
metadata capabilities of Hierarchical Storage Management
products.  

Yes it would be better.  The author tools do some of this in
a limited way already with tool-peculiar databases of ALT/image
pairs, all uses of a common URI-reference, etc.

But the full systematization is in the future and we need an
approach to defining information coverage requirements that is not
dependent on the developers choice of persistent data technology.

Al

to follow up on what Marja-Riitta Koivunen said:
> From w3c-wai-er-ig-request@w3.org  Fri Nov  6 14:56:38 1998
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> Date: Fri, 06 Nov 1998 14:53:09 -0500
> To: "Leonard R. Kasday" <kasday@acm.org>,
>         "Chris Ridpath" <chris.ridpath@utoronto.ca>, <w3c-wai-er-ig@w3.org>
> From: Marja-Riitta Koivunen <marja@w3.org>
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> Subject: Re: Automatic Alt Text Generation
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[Charset iso-8859-1 unsupported, filtering to ASCII...]
> One thing that I have been wondering with Web documents, images etc. is if it
> would be valuable to be able to have alternate descriptions attached to the
> actual objects.
> 
> In some cases it would be good if the site would have a database containing
> the
> descriptions of the common stuff such as company logos etc. So that user's
> don't have to write them time after time.
> 
> If the alternate descriptions were attached to the object, it could
> function as
> a default that can be then be changed by authors in different contexts. For
> instance,_ image with a globe has description "An iconized globe showing
> Americas" and when it is used as a icon to global environmental issues the
> author changes it with ALT text to "Global environmental issues."
> 
>   Marja
> 
> At 01:54 PM 11/6/98 -0500, Leonard R. Kasday wrote: 
> >
> > I don't think that ALT=" " should automatically generated. 
> >
> > Lets say the author fails to put in ALT text._ In lynx, ALT=" " makes the
> > omission invisible._ At least, if there is no ALT attribute, the lynx
> user is
> > warned that something is missing. 
> >
> > If the author deliberately wants to put in ALT=" " to signify that the image
> > is purely decorative or redundant, that's ok._ But it should not be
> > automatic. 
> >
> > Len 
> >
> > At 03:57 PM 11/5/98 -0500, Chris Ridpath wrote: 
> > >>>> 
> >>
> >> I've made a couple of suggestions for_ inclusion in the authoring tool
> >> guidelines as we discussed in the recent_ conference call. Please let me
> >> know if you have any comments._ HTML tools should NOT generate
> 'placeholder'
> >> ALT_ text but should leave the Alt text blank (ALT="") or not generate the_
> >> Alt attribute. Placeholder text could be generated by the tool to let the
> >> user_ know that some text should be added. Examples of this include "Alt
> >> text_ here" or "Place Alt text here". If placeholder text is generated_
> then
> >> accessibility checking tools will only see that there is Alt text and_
> >> assume the element is accessible. This should be a priority 1 item._ HTML
> >> tools should generate_ default Alt text with caution. If default text is
> >> generated_ then the user must be offered the option of changing the text.
> >> Priority_ 2?_ Chris 
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ------- 
> > Leonard R. Kasday 
> > Institute on Disabilities/UAP at Temple University, Philadelphia PA 
> > email:____ kasday@acm.org 
> > telephone: (215} 204 2247 
> >
> 
> 
>

Received on Friday, 6 November 1998 16:15:20 UTC