longdescs in plain text versions of UAAG docs

aloha, jon and ian!

i know it would be a bit more work for you, ian, but where the WG has been
provided with LONGDESC-ready text for screen shots contributed to the
Techniques document, could you please use the LONGDESC-ready text in the
plain text version of the UAAG suite of docs, where in the HTML version the
image is defined, rather than the ALT text?

naked ALT text, such as quote Jaws for Window Links List view unquote,
conveys nothing of real value to the reader of the plain text version of
the document -- what they need is a full description of the image, not a
caption -- nothing else measures up to the term textual equivalent...
perhaps you could tweak your script to yank in the LONGDESC when it
generates the plain text version of the UAAG documents, 

which would necessitate defining LONGDESCs for the screen shots included in
the Techniques documents...  the document source for the UAAG docs should
not only link to LONGDESCs (where appropriate) by use of the LONGDESC
attribute (as defined by HTML 4.0, the declared DTD for the UAAG docs), but
(as an until user agent technique) by encasing the IMG declaration in a
hyperlink, or by using a D-Link, or (optimally) both...

i'll take a unilateral action item to create LONGDESC source for the screen
shots i've contributed, unless ian would prefer to selectively yank
something consistent with the "look and feel" of the UAAG docs from the
descriptions contained in (long URI warning):
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ua/2000JanMar/0123.html

thanks--the document sounds better and better with each passing draft,
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 Thursday, 3 February 2000 04:31:46 UTC