- From: Steven Faulkner <faulkner.steve@gmail.com>
- Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2008 11:23:03 +0100
- To: "Henri Sivonen" <hsivonen@iki.fi>
- Cc: "public-html@w3.org WG" <public-html@w3.org>, "W3C WAI-XTECH" <wai-xtech@w3.org>, wai-liaison@w3.org
>My point was that quantitative data about the magnitude of different phenomena around alt and >how they average out is something we don't have. Agreed, and that is why I am remain unconvinced of the correctness of the theory that "requiring alt = bad". there is simply no publically available body of evidence that supports this theory. regards steve On 20/04/2008, Henri Sivonen <hsivonen@iki.fi> wrote: > On Apr 20, 2008, at 12:25, Steven Faulkner wrote: > > > > > > > There has now been a decade-long experiment with making alt a syntax > > > requirement. I think this experiment shows that doing so has the > downside of > > > inducing bogus alt. When validation has downsides, as a validator > developer, > > > I want to work to remove the downsides. > > > > > > > Where is the empirical data to support your assumptions? All we > > currently have on both sides is anecdote and conviction. > > > > > All I have is unwritten anecdotal data that convinces me of the *existence* > of the phenomenon to a non-trivial extent (from observing tool output, from > observing what others say when they discuss things and from observing that > my own thoughts when writing tools or markup parallel what I observe others > to say or do). It also seems to me that the phenomenon of people writing > good alt text because a validator reminded them *exists*. > > My point was that quantitative data about the magnitude of different > phenomena around alt and how they average out is something we don't have. > > -- > Henri Sivonen > hsivonen@iki.fi > http://hsivonen.iki.fi/ > > > -- with regards Steve Faulkner Technical Director - TPG Europe Director - Web Accessibility Tools Consortium www.paciellogroup.com | www.wat-c.org Web Accessibility Toolbar - http://www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat-ie-about.html
Received on Sunday, 20 April 2008 10:23:43 UTC