Re: ALT text (re Gregg Vanderheiden) (fwd)

On Wed, 18 Feb 1998, Liam Quinn wrote:

> At 11:14 AM 18/02/98 +0000, Alan J. Flavell wrote:
> >It's the job of the browser to alert the reader to the fact that this
> >ALT text is standing-in for an image, by whatever means the browser
> >designer chooses.

> I don't think it should be clear.  Since the ALT text is a replacement for
> the image, the average reader shouldn't even know which text is normal text
> and which is ALT text.

My apologies.  I should rather have said that it's the job of the
browser to give the reader the option to be alerted to the fact that
the ALT text is standing-in for an image.  Readers who do not wish
this should, of course, have the option to turn it off (or to not turn
it on).

> I prefer Lynx's default presentation of ALT text.

And so do I, usually; but anyone who prefers to be alerted would have
to issue the "*" keycommand, and the resulting [LINK]-[IMAGE]
displays may be considered rather obtrusive. 

Received on Wednesday, 18 February 1998 10:05:03 UTC