Re: Example canvas element use - accessibility concerns

Rob Sayre wrote:
>>
>> Rob, you know full well that this remains a contentious issue, and is 
>> in no
>> way resolved.
> 
> It's contentious, but it looks resolved to me. I don't see a proposal to 
> change the status quo.

I don't think it is resolved, but too I don't see a proposal.

http://www.w3.org/html/wg/tracker/issues/31

>> outcomes - not impossible, just increasingly difficult.  Sam Ruby last 
>> week
>> suggested that keeping @alt mandatory was likely the best baby-step 
>> forward,
>> no?

That's a bit more than I said.

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-archive/2009Feb/0091.html

I yet know how to diffuse this contentious issue... but here's another 
thought.  As I understand it, Rob's document is intended to focus on 
issues of interop.  This can be thought of as a foundation which is 
stable over time which contains a barest minimum of judgment calls.  For 
example: the presence of a summary attribute does not cause any know 
browser to halt and catch file.  Nor does the absence of an attribute.

That's one kind of document at the IETF.  Another kind is referred to as 
a Best Current Practice[1].  Such a document describes recommendations 
for usage based on practical experience.  Validators could certainly be 
written to produce useful advice based on such a document.

To be clear: I am not advocating that alt be required, or that it be 
optional, or that a BCP be split out from HTML5.  I am certainly not 
volunteering to be an editor... what I am trying to explore is what work 
people are willing to volunteer for.

Clearly Ian is willing to write a document that provides considerable 
value in terms of conformance criteria.  Rob's aim is clearly different. 
  Perhaps there is somebody out there itching to write a BCP.

- Sam Ruby

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_current_practice

Received on Wednesday, 25 February 2009 01:09:13 UTC