Re: ALT tools

This is on offline exchange I had with Daniel that I'm posting here
(after getting OK from Daniel of course).  I omitted some intro words,
e.g. where he said it was OK to post etc.

I labeled each paragraph LRK:: and DD:: so people would know who was
who.  My new comments are labeled new LRK::  My primitive mail system
doesn't put in the >


LRK:: > 1. How about calculating a hash code for every image and making
a master
> > list of all hash codes?   The hash code would be calculated on the
> image
> > bits themselves, not the url or filename  And make the hash code
> long
> > enough that the probablity of two images having same hash and same
> size
> > is negligible.   It certainly shouldn't be hard to make it
> negligible
> > compared to human errors. This way, if many people use the same clip
> > art, for example, it all gets ALT'd.   This also replaces the sort's
> you
> > suggest.
> 
DD::Yes, a hash is a very good way to find duplicate.
>  
LRK::> 2. I still have a feeling that it will help folks to see the
context in
> > which the image appears.  This could be added to your proposal by
> > showing the context along with the image.  I dunno, maybe this isn't
> > needed... I'll see if I can spot any examples.
> 
DD::Agreed. One simple way would be to have the form provide a [Context]
> button that brings up the original page where the image occured (which
> will have to be send to the alt server as well). One issue is that if
> the page is long and contain many images, there is a risk that the
> context is lost even within the page (if there is no anchor close that
> is). 
> 
> Were you thinking of something more elaborated ?
> 
new LRK:: If you processed the page to put in the needed anchors for
purpose of display  then you'd go right to the image.

LRK:: > Another possibility, which I think was discussed on one of the
> > lists, is that when an image is a link to make the ALT text the
> > title of the page to which it points.  
> 
DD:: Sort of conflict with the sharing idea above: same image being used
to
> point to different pages. 
> 
LRK:: yes, this is really a whole different way of doing things...
figuring out a fallback when nobody put in the ALT text.

Received on Friday, 23 January 1998 18:46:00 UTC