Re: GL's interpretation of null alt-text

aloha, wendy!

why is alt=" " (with a space between the quotes) to be discouraged, whilst
alt="" (with no space between the quotes) is considered o.k. when used with the
A element as a pseudo-OBJECT, as in:

<A href="foo.html"><img alt="" src=...>prices</A>

i also don't understand the contention that:

quote
authors  shouldn't use " " since spaces are ignored by user agents.
unquote

is this because we fear that authors using a ATAG compliant tool or an ER tool
will simply hit the space bar when the tool barks at them for not providing
content for the (required) ALT attribute?

it has been my experience that ALT="" (no space) is more often ignored than it
is interpreted by UAs as a valid ALT argument...  when using most commonly
available versions of Lynx, for example, images whose ALT attribute was null
showed up as
        [IMAGE]
rather than as

(yes, that was an audio/visual joke -- there's nothing on the line above) when
the ALT value is a space, which is the behavior that i, as a speech user would
prefer if the graphic is purely decorative and adds nothing to the content or
structure of the document, so that i don't have to listen to a zillion
placeholders, as in (apologies to speech users)

[IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE] 

what was unclear (at least to me from the minutes referenced in your post) is
whether we are discussing particular cases, or setting out a blanket statement
-- thou shalt not use a space as the value for the ALT attribute?

yes, allowing the use of a space as the value for the ALT attribute leaves open
the potential for misuse of the ALT attribute for formatting purposes, and may
allow someone to slip illegitimately ALT-texted images past a validator, but
that is hardly a valid reason for condemning the practice...  hell, hardly
anyone uses NOFRAMES correctly, but i don't hear anyone asking that we
discourage authors from using it because 9 times out of 10 it is used either as
a commercial for a particular browser or as a means of insulting the end user
and the tools at his or her disposal...

gregory
--------------------------------------------------------
He that lives on Hope, dies farting
     -- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1763
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Gregory J. Rosmaita <unagi69@concentric.net>
   WebMaster and Minister of Propaganda, VICUG NYC
        <http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/vicug/index.html>
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Received on Wednesday, 10 November 1999 16:47:15 UTC