The internet has become 3 massive multi-user blogs, each largely consisting of screenshots taken of the other two. This kind of blows, and not just for the usual reasons that may spring to mind.

Images are a terrible medium for online communication! Not everyone online uses a monitor. Any messages contained in a picture is straight up unacceptable without alt-text. It also makes it harder to find and fact check sources, or to spread a thought or idea further than yet another image upload. Copy/pasting text is just plain easier than downloading and uploading.

If you’re going through the trouble of creating an image post, take an extra minuite to copy/past (or even transcribe) the source text into the alt-text submission. It’s not much, but it goes a ways to improving how we use this blasted network!

https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-write-an-image-description-2f30d3bf5546

  • RedSturgeon [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
    7·
    9 days ago

    Hello. I’m a visual artist interested in incorporating alt-text into my work and making it more accessible for people.

    I am not against mandatory requirement for it, but here are my main struggles with it:

    • Lack of a clear, easy to follow and objective guidelines for how to compose alt-text.

    Once these directives have been established that also takes care of low-effort or wrongly applied alt-text, avoids there being favoritism in moderation process and served to educate us.

    I understand your frustration with me and that is justifiable, but please help me be better. For instance this is a piece of art I made When I was uploading it I had spent a couple hours trying to figure out how to make appropriate text for it, before I made the cowardly choice to opt out completely when I became overwhelmed by information. At the same time a short alt-text for an artwork like this feels inappropriate. That made me choose to out out of including any, seeing as it is optional and I don’t deserve the attention of anyone who would have otherwise engaged with my work when I am unwilling/unable to provide adequate alt-text for them.

    I am not looking for excuses, but rather would like for us to work together and figure out a solution.

    • Wheaties [she/her]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      3·
      9 days ago

      https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-write-an-image-description-2f30d3bf5546

      This object-action-context method described here is very useful. I’d recommend starting as concise as possible, then adding in key details.

      So, for your art piece, maybe start with something like

      A figure facing the horizon. A big tiger descends from the sky, threatening the city sprawling between them.

      If I were to add a few more details, I might do

      A figure beside a river, facing the horizon. A big tiger descends from the sky, its tail wrapping around a red sun, threatening the city sprawling between them. A golden trout leaps from the river.

      And the fact that this is an artistic work is itself context! This means more detail is welcome and helpful!