Recent searches
Search options
Lots of people talking about a new year resolution to only boost images with alt text. That's nice.
If you already do this, how about a resolution to write alt text that ACTUALLY DESCRIBES THE BLOODY IMAGE
I was going to say, "let me know when I fail" and I guess that stands, though I paused and thought myself an idiot for a time.
It raises subjectivity and "what do the sighted see?"
I try to get my descriptions accurate, but without being hopelessly pernickety, long-winded, and misleading. I often think that I put in details that are from my subjective perception and understanding of the image - imagining the sighted reader who ignores the alt text missing out on something. But what they would be missing is this bit of my own experience which might be less than what they would take away themselves, left to their own devices.
Has this been extensively written on? I think it is interesting. As an improvising musician I am very open to and aware of the likelihood that others interpret what I play in quite a different way to me.
@afwesty from your questions it seems clear to me that it's not you I'm thinking of. There are examples and guides and so on, but I am not talking to people who want to know how to do it *well*, I mean to address those whose alt text isn't descriptive at all.
Rule of thumb IMO is that you need to say two things:
-What is it?
AND
-What does it look like?
That's the low low bar that is so often tripped over. If you're concerned with subjective details rather than that, I expect you're fine.
@xanna
Thanks. That's encouraging.
(Slightly weird that anyone would bother to enter alt text and not say what the image is (at least) and what it looks like. But there are people out there with a different mind set, I guess)
@afwesty you have put your finger on the very crux of my frustration there. It's as though some people got as far as 'adding alt text is good' but not as far as why.
For the avoidance of doubt, I don't use a screen reader myself; my use of alt text is when images don't load, or when I need a bit of help understanding the intent of the image (I'm better at words than images). Guidance from screen reader users trumps mine.
@xanna The irony of this appearing in my feed right next to https://mastodon.nz/@KiwiEV/113749848270468832 (has an "alt text" that is one word, "meme").
@AthanSpod a beautiful example, thank you