Re: Need some help (Alt text and descriptions)

[Gregg questioned my suggestion that null ALT strings be used.]

I myself believe that authors should be encouraged to consider
null ALT strings as within their range of choice if they will
take the trouble to think about ALT strings at all.  I have no
big problem with "IBM logo" suggestion.  I would prefer that the
WAI not go out to beat people up telling them they must have a
non-null ALT string for every image.

On the other hand, until you explicitly asked I had resolved to
let the matter rest for a myriad of excuses:

	- the logo is on the page not because the visitor wants to see
	it but because the host wants it seen. 

	- it's a very small difference in utility either way

	- My opinions were first formed in a universe of Lynx users,
	where the useless image will obligingly get entirely out of 
	the way if a null ALT string is indicated.
	There is less benefit from a null alt string and more pain
	for users of GUI browsers.  Maybe it's a wash?

We did have a "I don't like having things hidden from me"
conversation on Lynx-dev.  A page author said "I program my page
so it comes out totally differently in Graphics and in Lynx.
Trust me, the things I null out are not worth mentioning if you
don't see them."  This won the day, on that particular day.

All of these decisions are very "soft-fail" in Lynx because the
user has the choice to force all the images to be visible links,
if they want exhaustive coverage.  Thus setting the normal mode
to 'trust the author if they have thought enough to actually put
ALT="" there' doesn't lock the user in immutably.

For what it's worth...

--
Al

Received on Thursday, 10 July 1997 23:57:21 UTC