@mattly also, Discord does require an active phone number to join to be able to read anything.

@mattly @kristinHenry

Courts consider all these things documentation

@mattly Discord is not even a chat.

@mattly I'd say forums are OK for very small things, as long as they are indexable, and that images don't disappear or require an account to view…

@mattly all of the aformentioned media are inherently ableist and #Discord is an #InformationBlackhole with unacceotable #ToS!

- Whereas written #documentation is trivially transferable.and translateable: #TextToSpeech works for over a quarter century fine...

@mattly And a ‘Knowledge Base’ just shows that your company is too lazy to write proper, structured documentation. 🙂

@mattly Discord is also notorious for demanding a phone number verification. I have had months where I have had no SIM in my phone. I was fine without it, a website that insists on knowing my number can go pound sand.

@mattly

A problem with videos/audios is that you don't control the flow. And the information flow is always incredibly slow compared to reading.

Personally, I *can't* watch a video. After a few seconds I must give up and do something else.

@mattly admittedly though, something is better than nothing. Unless it's just an LLM guessing at what options/features do.

@mattly
You just reminded me I have to edit zoom transcript of a video from today.

I wish there were tools to turn these things into better documentation; and improve the access and indexing into these tools.

Mostly I have to remove nonsense and then change `cause` and `calls` into CORS

@mattly i'd add that tutorials and blogposts are not documentation too... Blogposts and tutorials usually dont need be exhaustive, its terrible when the only source of information is a tutorial exposing a new functionality that doesnt cover what you need.

@mattly I mean if your podcast has appropriate chapters that indicate the sections of your tutorial, you can most certainly go back and watch the appropriate section of the podcast to find what you were looking for. I disagree for that reason specifically.

@mattly I have no diagnosed disability, but find video annoying. Text proceeds at my very variable pace, controlled intuitively by the way I move my eyes (and occasionally scroll).

@mattly

Duh! Just realised that this is why I struggle with accents, even while I love diverse accents. I often take a notebook with me to any public talks or lectures, because seeing my notes as I write helps me to process what I’ve heard more effectively.

@mattly I disagree. Anything done aside the main product is documentation; even comments or e-mails on a mailing-list.

I agree on the fact it's not accessible, on the fact that a good and organized written documentation is important for a product or tool to pass the test of time. But most people do not know how to do that, or are not willing, so this message may dissuade them from doing anything.

Instead, you can insist on the fact that videos, forums and so on are a start.

@mattly
Can you add the hashtag disability for a wider audience to see this in their feeds? Thank you very much.

@mattly Wiki's and (searchable) forums should be mandatory for all software/hardware projects

@mattly
Though at least a web forum is usually search-engine-friendly?

@mattly it's not just accessibility either. You seriously expect me to watch some 30 minute video or listen to your rambling podcast to figure out how to use your thing?

Not happening.