Rab Bruce’s SpiderMar 15
Social media for the blind:
Bluesky, hardly any Alt Text. To understand an image, you must open the post, tap on the image and hope your screen reader can describe it, or spend a minute or so scanning it.
X, hardly any image descriptions. The built-in AI will try to describe the images which is a major improvement, but you need to wait until the screen reader finishes reading all the info about the post.
Mastodon, loads of image descriptions. What a pleasure it is to browse my timeline here.
Show threadStephen Cox AuthorMar 18

@RabBrucesSpider1

Bluesky you can enable alt text so you have to give it. which means not providing it is definitely your choice.

Show threadRab Bruce’s SpiderMar 20
@stephenwhq Yes, but Bluesky should have that turned on by default. Most users don’t know they can turn it on. I suspect many folk would turn it off, but at least everyone would know it is there. But I do know that many folk choose not to add Alt Text. I won’t speculate as to their motives.
Show threadStephen Cox AuthorMar 20

@RabBrucesSpider1

I completely agree it should be on. Certainly my timeline was full for months of people raising awareness of this need.

Show threadRab Bruce’s Spider
@stephenwhq Yes, some good folk did try to promote it. Sadly, it had little effect. A few people did start using it but the majority still don’t add Alt Text.
I spent years trying to get people to use Alt Text on Twitter. Again, hardly anyone ever bothers.
Good example is Ruth Davidson, former Tory MSP and now in the Lords. She was asked to take part in an awareness raising campaign, & she posted 1 pic with Alt Text, saying how wonderful it was. Since then, nothing.
Mar 20 at 7:49pmWeb