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2025-07-07 19:12:30

gcvsa@mstdn.plus

Schools of #AltText:

1. describe absolutely everything in the image as much as possible
2. describe the least amount of information possible to convey the image
3. transcribe text verbatim, including errors
4. none of the above

2025-07-07 20:44:21

Jupiter Rowland

jupiter_rowland@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

@Gemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐 I do 1 and 3.

1 to such extents that the actual alt-text only contains a short description where "short" means anything between ca. 900 and ca. 1,400 characters. The long description goes into the post, and it regularly measures several tens of thousands of characters. Also, I don't describe what's in the image as I can see it in the image, I describe what's in the image as I can see it at the place where the image was made, i.e. at an almost infinitely higher resolution and, if need be, with the ability of looking around obstacles.

Someone somewhere out there might be interested in these details and at the same time consider having to ask for further descriptions lazy or maybe even ableist.

What I no longer do, however, is describe images within my image at more details than visible in the place where I've taken the image. In one of my last image descriptions, I would otherwise have had to describe not only multiple images in my image, but dozens of images in one image in my image and probably even more images in these images.

3 to such extents that I even transcribe text that's unreadable in the image, but that I can read at the place where the image was made. Also, I've once had a sign (unreadable of course) in English, French and rather broken German. I transcribed all three languages character by character, and I translated the French and the German text into English right after transcribing each one of it. Another reason why my long image descriptions are so long. This irritates screen readers because they can't switch languages mid-text, but if 100% verbatim transcripts are the rule, then so be it.

The only thing I no longer do regarding this is transcribe all-caps as all-caps because screen readers may or may not misinterpret them. Also, I don't transcribe Roman numbers as such.

#Long #LongPost #CWLong #CWLongPost #AltText #AltTextMeta #CWAltTextMeta #ImageDescription #ImageDescriptions #ImageDescriptionMeta #CWImageDescriptionMeta #Transcripts

2025-07-07 21:23:28

*_jayrope

jrp@hub.kliklak.net

@Gemma ⭐️🔰🇺🇸 🇵🇭 🎐 Don't describe colors. (?)