See? It’s wrong…

2025-04-30 07:00:00

cynnisblog.wordpress.com@cynnisblog.wordpress.com

I recently wrote the post Doing it wrong here. It had not been shared yet, as it was scheduled behind several other posts that I've already written before. So the text had not been shared yet, when I got to Mastodon one day, and someone bluntly told me that I was doing it wrong. It sounded very accusing, and it triggered all the old trauma bits with me... I ended up just blocking them, as I don't need that kind of abuse. Fortunately, some very sweet friends sent me very nice and supportive messages. But still, the one nasty remark triggered loads in me, and I had a rubbish night with bad nightmares. ? I don't understand why strangers have this much power over me. Even when I know I was trying to do the right thing... […]

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Accessibility AI AltText DogsOfMastodon SocialMedia Supportive Unkindness Wrong

2025-04-30 11:32:06

Jupiter Rowland

jupiter_rowland@hub.netzgemeinde.eu

That's the Mastodon Home Owners' Association in full effect.

They have their rules. They enforce their rules. But they don't lay their rules open, often not even in front of each other, so that everyone has their own set of rules while claiming that these rules are universal for the whole Fediverse. Oh, and these rules are geared towards Mastodon, only Mastodon and nothing but Mastodon, but they're enforced upon everything in the Fediverse, no matter how different from Mastodon it may be, because the Mastodon HOA can't see where something was posted from. And honestly, they don't care. If it can post to Mastodon, it counts as Mastodon to them, and it has to behave exactly like Mastodon, full stop.

Their standards and requirements for alt-texts and image descriptions are high, way higher than actually blind users' requirements. They don't know what blind users want. Or if they do, they don't care because blind users allegedly have too low standards. For at least some of them, image descriptions must be outright scientifically accurate and highly detailed, I guess, even to the point where nobody who comes across an image will ever have to look up any additional information.

They demand over 1,000 characters of accurate details when what blind users want is 200 characters of whimsy.

And, of course, they demand that everyone write such accurate and detailed descriptions themselves. By hand. Always. No matter if you're out and about with only a phone as your device and little to no time to compose and edit a lengthy image description. No matter how few spoons you have. No matter if you're actually sighted or not. The concept of blind or visually-impaired people posting images is non-existent and unimaginable to them.

Oh, and every image in the Fediverse must absolutely always have an actual alt-text. An image description in the post doesn't count, even if it's much longer and more detailed than an alt-text could ever be, like whenever I post an original image. That's why I always describe my original images twice, and my alt-texts always indicate that there is also a longer and more detailed description in the post itself.

As I constantly try to stay way ahead of the Mastodon HOA's requirements while they seem to be constantly ramped up in turn, the effort to post one measly image has grown so titanic for me that months can pass without me posting any images, just trying to keep as many Fediverse users satisfied as possible.

Some say I overthink image descriptions. But unfortunately, if you have to describe images to satisfy the Mastodon HOA, you can't possibly overthink it.

Food for thought: The Mastodon HOA has never accused me of overthinking my image descriptions and/or announced to sanction me for overdescribing my images. And I don't think it's because none of them is within my reach.