- From: Gregory J. Rosmaita <oedipus@hicom.net>
- Date: Thu, 3 Jun 2010 15:25:43 +0100
- To: Steven Faulkner <faulkner.steve@gmail.com>
- Cc: wai-xtech@w3.org, public-html-a11y@w3.org
aloha, steve! thank you for your quick and positive response -- could you please file the bug for me? i have enough of a headache without wrestling with bugzilla and, in any evet, my w3c bugzilla account won't authenticate -- thanks, gregory. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ABNORMAL, adj. Not conforming to standard. In matters of thought and conduct, to be independent is to be abnormal, to be abnormal is to be detested. -- Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Gregory J. Rosmaita, oedipus@hicom.net Camera Obscura: http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/ Oedipus' Online Complex: http://my.opera.com/oedipus/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------- Original Message ----------- From: Steven Faulkner <faulkner.steve@gmail.com> To: "Gregory J. Rosmaita" <oedipus@hicom.net> Cc: wai-xtech@w3.org Sent: Thu, 3 Jun 2010 14:47:26 +0100 Subject: Re: [HTML5 ALT] alt text is brief; example 6.1 should be modified or deleted > Hi gregory thanks for the feedback, can you submit as a bug so I > can track the issue? > > file a bug: > http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/enter_bug.cgi?product=HTML% 20WG&component=alt%20techniques%20(editor:%20Steven%20Faulkner) > > If it's too much hassle i can do so on your behalf. > > best regards > Stevef > > On 3 June 2010 08:17, Gregory J. Rosmaita <oedipus@hicom.net> wrote: > > aloha, steve! > > > > overall, i am really impressed with the work you've done on > > the HTML5 Techniques for providing useful text alternatives > > draft (congrats on getting a public draft approved) -- but in > > re-reading and discussing the draft i've run into the same reaction > > i first had when i reviewed an earlier draft of the document, and i > > believe it is an example that you inherited from a previous HTML5 > > draft: > > > > QUOTE source="http://dev.w3.org/html5/alt-techniques/#images-enhance" > > > > Example 6.1 > > Here is an example of an image closely related to the subject matter of > > the page content but not directly discussed. An image of a painting > > inspired by a poem, on a page reciting that poem. The following snippet > > shows an example. The image is a painting titled the "Lady of Shallot", > > it is inspired by the poem and its subject matter is derived from the > > poem. Therefore it is strongly recommended that a text alternative is > > provided. The description of the content of the image would be redundant > > for users who can view the image, so the appropriate place to put it is > > in the alt attribute. > > > > Example code: > > > > <hgroup><h1>The Lady of Shalott</h1> > > <h2>A poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson</h2></hgroup> > > <figure><img src="shalott.jpeg" alt="A painting of a young women with > > long hair sitting in a wooden boat, she is wearing a flowing white > > dress. A large piece of intricately patterned fabric is draped over > > the side. In her right hand she holds the chain mooring the boat. Her > > expression is mournful. She stares at a crucifix lying in front of > > her. Beside it are three candles. Two have blown out."></figure> > > UNQUOTE > > > > example 6.1 is a poor example of alt text useage, and as such should > > be deleted or modified -- alt text is the brief "at a glance" or > > "congnative thumbnail", so the extremely long value defined for the > > example isn't appropriate as alt text, but as a concise long > > description; alt text needs to be terse for a number of reasons, > > including usability, extremely limited viewports, small amount of video > > "real estate" (iPad and smaller devices) etc. > > > > 358 characters isn't a terse descriptor or cognative thumbnail -- this > > seems to me a case where a picture may be worth at least 358 words, but > > only make me listen to all 365 if i want/need to if i ask for it, > > explicitly or via user preferences -- i also need a means of being > > alerted that a longer description is available, and, if need be, need > > to have side-by-side exposition of longdesc with image option available, > > for someone with an EXTREMELY limited viewport or a user with a cognative > > disability with or without AT, who is attempting to compile a > > comprehensive view of the image being described > > > > is this something that can be fixed? do you think it advisable to > > state only "terse, short, cognitive thumbnails, such as those used > > in the examples below" be used for alt values, as i for one would not > > want to set a hard cap on the MaxValue of alt text, but do want > > developers/content creators to realize just what alt text actually > > is and what longer descriptors are, as well as the need for robust > > support for them > > > > apologies for not having commented upon this earlier -- it fell through > > the holes in the sieve i call my mind and slipped down on my ToDo list > > until it was off my radar until i was very recently reminded of it -- > > thanks to all who helped "jog" my memory... > > > > gregory. > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > "Kill the rattlesnake that gives no warning; spare the one that > > does." -- Lenni Lenape proverb > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Gregory J. Rosmaita <oedipus@hicom.net> > > Camera Obscura: http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/index.html > > Oedipus' Online Complex: http://my.opera.com/oedipus/ > > UBATS - United Blind Advocates for Talking Signs: http://ubats.org > > ------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > > > -- > 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 ------- End of Original Message -------
Received on Thursday, 3 June 2010 14:26:26 UTC