Re: alt tags no with a twist

In article <D70342829C12D2119D0700805FBECA2F75F34F@RED-MSG-55>, Charles
(Chuck) Oppermann <chuckop@microsoft.com> writes
><<
>>All throughout graphical user interfaces, ToolTips are used to provide
>>textual representations of graphical objects.
>
>No... all through GUIs, tootips are used to provide ADDITIONAL
>INFORMATION about graphical objects.
>>>
>
>I do not agree.  Hovering over a printer icon shows a ToolTip that says
>"Print".  In Windows 98, hovering over the [X] button of a windows shows a
>ToolTip that says "Close".

Windows, being a GUI, does not have an imageless mode :) Thus there can
be no equivalent of ALT text in that environment. Tooltips are generally
associated with a time delay so that the user's display is not
unnecessarily cluttered. Thus what you see as a "textual representation"
*is* in fact additional information, which is only made available if the
user requires it. Appropriate behaviour in Windows does not necessarily
translate directly to other media.

>  If you really want to
>see the behavior changed, work in the User Agent group and get it added to
>the guidelines.  Having a end-less argument on the Interest Group list does
>no good.

At least we agree on that ;)

So many lists, so little life :(

Best Wishes
-- 
Colin Reynolds, The Net Effect (World Wide) Ltd
http://www.the-net-effect.com/
Tel: +44 (0)1246 450 901
Fax: +44 (0)1246 450 902

Received on Thursday, 20 August 1998 06:57:05 UTC