Mastodawn

Jiří Štefka Jan 25, 2025

Georgiana Brummell

As someone who is totally blind, the Fediverse is the only place where I have ever been able to follow people such as photographers, artists, or even those who post pictures of their cats or the food they ate. The reason is that most of them use alt text. They take the time to describe the images that my screen reader can't recognise. Some write the descriptions themselves, and others use tools such as altbot. Some worry that their descriptions aren't good enough, especially when they are new at this. Let me assure you, not only are they good enough, they are extremely appreciated! If the rest of the world thought as you did, it would be a much better place. Don't hesitate to ask if you're unsure of something, but never think that we don't notice your effort.

#appreciation #accessibility #altbot #alttext #blind #blindness #fediverse #gratitude #images #inclusivity #peoplewhocare #pictures #technology

Morten Kjeldgaard Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 They're pathetic, but we knew that already.

schuelermine Jan 30, 2025

@mok0 @dandylover1 who? what?

WoollyMel Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1
I really appreciate your post Georgina.Before I came here I had no idea of alt txt but now make sure it is always on my photos. I also try to spread the word outside Fediverse.

Wm.son Jan 25, 2025

Same, it never occurred to me and now I rarely forget.

EntangledPear Jan 25, 2025

@MelSedds @dandylover1 I didn't know what the Alt was for until an account (or maybe a bot) boosting cat pictures told me I should provide it. I've done so ever since (and edited the ones I posted before that) and besides the obvious benefit, I find creating the descriptions and sometimes giving more context great fun ☺️ (I even learned some new words when I wanted to give accurate descriptions, like calyx.)

Bytebro 🇬🇧 🇺🇦 🇬🇱Jan 25, 2025

Here's something I posted before about an easy way to get more consistent at this... 🙂

https://mastodonapp.uk/@bytebro/113833543937024105

bytebro (@[email protected])

@[email protected] I've posted this before, but I'm pretty rubbish at remembering alt-txt, but since I followed @[email protected] I have no problems, because if I post an image without, it DMs me with a reminder so I can go back and add it 🙂

Mastodon App UK

Sybren Stüvel 🧡🤍Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 Thanks for posting this.

I've shared a screenshot of your post on Bluesky as well: https://bsky.app/profile/drsybren.bsky.social/post/3lgkt7yxig22j

dr. Sybren (@drsybren.bsky.social)

This is one of the reasons I like Mastodon so much: people take care of each other there. The alt text for this image was generated by Mastodon's "Detect text in image" feature. Bluesky is still missing that. #appreciation #accessibility #alttext #blindness #fediverse #inclusivity #peoplewhocare

Bluesky Social

TansterInJakarta (she/her)Jan 26, 2025

@sybren @dandylover1 I will do the same if that’s okay with you Georgina. I can omit your name/avatar.

Bluesky actually has a settings option where you can only send your post after adding Alt Text, which I have activated.

Fedo ¶Jan 25, 2025

@[email protected] something I’m never sure about is how much text in alt-text is too much. I generally stay as coincise as possible by describing what’s actually interesting in the image for the conversation, which may include written texts or not. Do you think vision-impaired readers may prefer a more complete description?

Lydia Schoch Jan 25, 2025

@fdrc_ff @dandylover1 I tend to write longer alt-text because I love details, but I wonder the same thing!

I AM BANKSY ☕ / 🗑‍🔥Jan 25, 2025

@lydiaschoch I find that I will put extra information in the alt text. Joke that's not in the post itself, perhaps. Pointing out what's strange in the picture. Explaining the joke. Something like it's a SPOILER tag you're only going to get if you check the alt text.

If web comics can do it, why not everyone?

Besides, the character count on alt text is HUGE.

@fdrc_ff @dandylover1

I AM BANKSY ☕ / 🗑‍🔥Jan 25, 2025

I have considered just using a big black PNG just to use the alt text for an essay.

Bård H. (lvl 49 🇳🇴)Jan 25, 2025

That exact thought has crossed my mind several times! 😅

Georgiana Brummell Jan 25, 2025

@xinit @fdrc_ff @lydiaschoch Wow! What a wonderful idea! Please forgive my ignorance, but is alt text something that sighted readers can see, or is it only available to screen readers? If so, this is one of the few times in which we actually get to have something that the rest of the world doesn't. If not, it's a great way to encourage sighted people to pay attention to the importance of alt text.

@dandylover1 all the client applications i see allow anyone to see alt texts, there's a little "alt" button in the corner of the images. i think that does helps a lot for people to remember to put alt texts

@dandylover1 if i didn't define my posts in english but in another language would you able to understand them?

Shred Jan 25, 2025

@zy Some Mastodon sites offer to translate a post into the reader's language, which also translates the ALT text. As someone who likes to read posts in languages I'm not fluent with, it helps a lot to understand the pictures as well (e.g. memes or comic strips).

@shred i don't mean translation, i mean the language parameter every post has. if i put a post in french, will the screen reader try to read the english post as if it was french?

@shred the language of this post is french for example

Esther #antifa Jan 26, 2025

You have to write the post and alt text in the language you specify to get both correctly translated.

Here is an example:
https://stefanbohacek.online/@stefan/112032360645638338

Stefan Bohacek (@[email protected])

Attached: 1 image Reminder: If you properly describe your images, it helps translate any text in them. Original post: https://fedifreu.de/@chpietsch/113895634046608325 #ImageDescription #AltText #accessibility #a11y #translation

Stefan's Personal Mastodon Server

🌻 Welcome Back 🌻Jan 27, 2025

@zy @shred
@dandylover1
When I get a message in German, the alt text is also in German (for example). It makes it easy to copy and paste into an internet translator.

I have found it helpful when the words are embedded in the picture too. Just go to the alt text and cut and paste.

I'm so happy that it helps people with vision problems.

(I had no idea German would be so important in 2025, but here we are.)

🌻 Welcome Back 🌻Jan 28, 2025

@zy @dandylover1
You can also follow an alt text not that will remind you when you forget to add alt text. It just sends you a message requesting that you add alt text

I AM BANKSY ☕ / 🗑‍🔥Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 on desktop web browsers, there's a tag in the corner of an image - either ALT or just a scary red exclamation mark (indicating that there's no ALT text).

If a user drags the mouse pointer over the image, the alt text is visible to sighted users. I think most mobile apps show it on a click, but I don't really remember.

@fdrc_ff @lydiaschoch

)}]Jan 26, 2025

@dandylover1 @xinit @fdrc_ff @lydiaschoch
The IMG ALT tag (more correctly, the ALT attribute of the IMG tag) has been a part of the HTML standard since the mid 1990s.
I'm sighted. I haven't tested with a screen reader, but when looking at a Fedi post from a Web browser, the alt text is in the IMG ALT tag. Mouse over, and it just displays the alt text.
Most other social networking platforms seem to put the alt text behind a "click the small ALT button and a popup will pop up" mechanism.

Jennifer Moore 😷Jan 30, 2025

I'm sighted and I often look at the alt text on Fediverse graphics!

It's great for things like "here's a person I don't recognise, are they famous, is it a clip from a show and what's the show and why is it relevant here". There are cultural references which would just whoosh over my head without the description.

Or sometimes there'll be one like "photo of woodland, with a squirrel" and I'll be like "oh yeah! there _is_ a squirrel in the corner there" :-)

@dandylover1 @xinit @fdrc_ff @lydiaschoch
Alt text is visible to sighted people. When a photo misses alt text, someone will usually jump on that and ask the poster to add. But it's sometimes the servers' fault that the alt text didn't make it across with the photo (something related to Fediverse decentralisation).
I enjoy reading alt text: it tells me what the poster found interesting, where their focus is, what they want us to know. Alt text can add so much nuance to posts.

Jupiter Rowland Oct 28

@Giselle @Jennifer Moore 😷 @Georgiana Brummell This is actually a mistake that many Fediverse user keep making because they don't know better, and because the majority of Mastodon users only have 500 characters available.

Alt-text must never contain information that is neither available in the image nor in the post text itself.

That's because not everyone can access alt-text. I'm being absolutely serious here. In order to access alt-text, you need either a screen reader (which sighted people don't have) or at least one sufficiently working hand.

If you want to explain your image, please do so in the post text itself and not in the alt-text.

#Long #LongPost #CWLong #CWLongPost #FediMeta #FediverseMeta #CWFediMeta #CWFediverseMeta #AltText #AltTextMeta #CWAltTextMeta

Jupiter Rowland - [email protected]

@jupiter_rowland @dandylover1
I wish to argue that each Fediverse user gets to make their own decision of what they want to include in alt text. On the understanding that not everyone may be able to see alt text, and that by not extending what they want to say to everyone, the poster loses out.
Strict rules of what we must, or must never do, don't sit right with me.

Jupiter Rowland Oct 28

@Giselle I've been told that by a Mastodon user who really values accessibility. However, she told me that she cannot access alt-texts because both of her hands don't work well enough for her to access alt-text.

It was her who told me to never explain things in alt-text because she and people like her can't read these explanations, because they can't open the alt-text with these explanations inside.

Explaining stuff in alt-text and not in the post throws people like her in front of a bus, just like not describing images at all throws blind and visually-impaired people in front of a bus.

I have explained my image posts in the post text body ever since, regardless of Mastodon users whining that I exceed 500 characters.

Explanations go into the post/toot where everyone can access them.

I mean, sure, you're free to put them only in the alt-text because your character limit is so meagre. You're just as free to write super-short alt-texts that don't really describe anything. You're just as free to not describe your images at all.

But don't complain if someone criticises you for either.

CC: @Georgiana Brummell

#Long #LongPost #CWLong #CWLongPost #FediMeta #FediverseMeta #CWFediMeta #CWFediverseMeta #AltText #AltTextMeta #CWAltTextMeta #ImageDescription #ImageDescriptions #ImageDescriptionMeta #CWImageDescriptionMeta

Netzgemeinde/Hubzilla

Schalk Neethling Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 😍

Lucilla Piccari Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 thank you for your kind words and especially thank you for making me discover altbot! It will make it easier to write alt text (but I will try to personalise it as much as I can anyway) 😀

Makyris Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 I need to do that more, I am so sorry for all the times I have forgotten. You matter very much!

オチュー (stop colonialism 🇵🇸)Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 We ought to do something about some apps that does alt description of image out of their filename. "yay alt ! ...Oh it's 65fddf.jpg"

Trötifant Jan 25, 2025

Thanks, that's so reassuring and encouraging!

garettmd Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 for a second there I read "who post pictures of their cats they ate". Haha. I'm glad the fediverse makes you feel welcome!

Mo's other photos Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1
It's good to know that it's so appreciated. I always try to make a little effort to write something!

N Toyohito / 縁豊人 Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1
I was always wondering "Am I trying to explain with too much detail? Is it too little? Does anyone actually ever use alt text of my images?" This post gave me all the answers I needed! Thanks! All hail fediverse :)

Lisa Gets Politik Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 Thank you for the feedback!

Clinton Anderson SwordForHire Jan 25, 2025

Question, if I may...

Should we also be using #CamelCase in our #HashTags so they're easier for Screen Readers to parse?

Cheers eh

Representative Sample Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 @alttexthalloffame

Alt Text Hall of Fame Jan 25, 2025

@RepresentativeSample Thank you for flagging me!

I love seeing posts like this, but at the same time I am a bit surprised when I look at the results posted by @AltTextHealthCheck.

https://stefanbohacek.com/blog/alt-text-health-check-image-accessibility-report-2/

Alt Text Health Check image accessibility report #2 | Stefan Bohacek

Looking at a year's worth of fediverse accessibility data.

tunda Jan 25, 2025

Manche machen sich Sorgen, dass ihre Beschreibungen nicht gut genug sind, vor allem, wenn sie neu auf diesem Gebiet sind. Ich kann Ihnen versichern, dass sie nicht nur gut genug sind, sondern auch sehr geschätzt werden! Wenn der Rest der Welt so denken würde wie Sie, wäre es ein viel besserer Ort. Zögern Sie nicht zu fragen, wenn Sie sich bei etwas unsicher sind, aber denken Sie nicht, dass wir Ihre Bemühungen nicht bemerken.

tunda Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 Einige schreiben die Beschreibungen selbst, andere verwenden Tools wie altbot. Manche machen sich Sorgen, dass ihre Beschreibungen nicht gut genug sind, vor allem, wenn sie neu auf diesem Gebiet sind. Ich kann Ihnen versichern, dass sie nicht nur gut genug sind, sondern auch sehr geschätzt werden! Wenn der Rest der Welt so denken würde wie Sie, wäre es ein viel besserer Ort. …

Übersetzt mit DeepL.com (kostenlose Version)

Alt Text Hall of Fame Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 Thank you for sharing your experience, this is truly inspiring to read!

Karen D 🇨🇦Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1
I'm glad you appreciate it. I have several vision impaired followers and each time I write my #AltText I think of them personally and do my best.

Kat the Leopardess Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 I admit that sometimes I struggle with alt tags. Understanding what there is to see in a picture is one thing, but providing info within the context of the overall post seems like it can come in handy

Curious to know if you tried Bluesky. I ask bc I thought Bluesky has a way to caption images.

DB Schwein Jan 25, 2025

@Catwoman69y2k @dandylover1

As BSKY is just a walled off version of the the rest of the fediverse, it does - the same capability as most servers.

Kat the Leopardess Jan 25, 2025

@deirdrebeth So would this maybe come down to a cultural difference (between the Fedi and Bluesky)?

Like, people on the Fediverse can generally get with the idea of how important alt tags are and the idea of alt tagging your images is part of an etiquette

Wheras on Bluesky, maybe the majority of users don't share this perspective/etiquette. (just ruminating)

DB Schwein Jan 25, 2025

I feel like the majority of folks on BSKY went there because it's being pushed as just like Xitter...so yeah, not a lot of cultural push for accessibility.

Alan Bucknam Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 I have an old art school friend who went gradually blind, and think of how I would describe my photos to her when I write my alt-text. I remember when she was sighted how much she enjoyed the act of looking, really catching this or that detail I hadn’t noticed, and I try to satisfy that, however I can, in text.

Jake Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 this is good to know! These messages help us (artists) not to forget to use these features! Thanks!

Phracker Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1
The Fediverse is also one of the few networks that actually allows you to edit the alt text directly. The only other ones I can think of are WordPress and Pinterest.

Francis Augusto Medeiros Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 I usually add descriptions to my pictures, but your post made me happy, and now I feel even more motivated to keep doing that <3

Professor_Stevens Jan 25, 2025

Thank you so much for posting this! I always include alt-text, but started doing so consistently mostly because self-appointed alt-text cops kept needling me anytime I left it out. This is the first time an alt-text user has actually said something nice about it (that I've seen in my feed, anyway).

Very kind of you to take a moment and say you appreciate it. I will continue to include it.

Grey Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 this is lovely to hear, thank you for sharing your experience!

Sammi Jan 25, 2025

@dandylover1 Hi - I need to learn - how should we go about captioning video?

Thanks!

DB Schwein Jan 25, 2025

@SamanthaJaneSmith @dandylover1

I alt it the same way I do an image.

Physical description, then meanings/subtleties that are not as obvious, and if there is one the script

Sammi Jan 25, 2025

@deirdrebeth @dandylover1 OK thanks, what would you do for abstract images? I find describing them difficult.

DB Schwein Jan 25, 2025

@SamanthaJaneSmith @dandylover1

In so many different kinds of art - it depends!
I would describe what strikes me.
So, "Portrait of a person standing next to a window but entirely made up of straight brushstrokes no single one shorter than the length of the face."
Or, "Bold black lines intersect across a white canvas with a single square of yellow towards the upper right corner."

DB Schwein Jan 25, 2025

@SamanthaJaneSmith @dandylover1

Honestly, if you don't know how on something specific - reach out and ask. If I'm around I'm happy to give it a go, but there's also the hashtag ALT4Me which will summon a figurative army to help you out 😁