Gregory's ServerAlt-text is really a big cultural differentiator for Mastodon. Twitter has it, but it's pretty rare to see people use it. Threads doesn't have it at all! And with regards to scicomm specifically, it's a perfect example of how accessibility improves the experience for everyone. I can break down a dense, hard to understand figure that people with vision would still find confusing. To me, alt-text is a non-negotiable requirement of good science communication.
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@slamhound @dantheclamman me too. Taking the time to describe images is a mindful and enriching action  @dantheclamman Unless I am missing something, Twitter won't show the alt text for a picture. So there's no chance for people not using screen readers to notice if it's correct. @dantheclamman Agreed. I have been evangelizing alt text/image description on Twitter for years now and it astounds me how many abled scientists (including those who say they specialize in SciComm) resisting it. It's actually a great exercise in making sure one understands what one is relating and how best to relay that to laypeople.  @dantheclamman I made a LinkedIn post this morning and they've nominally got an alt text option but I couldn't get it to work! @dantheclamman something I was always impressed with about twitter was how front and center the alt text options are when posting images. Back in the day (like late 10s) it was pretty hidden on FB (the main point of comparison back then)/tucked away at the time, still might be. Like despite everything, and culture aside, twitter used to be the social media service I felt cared about accessibility enough to put it right there with a big button @egg1111115 yeah, twitter old regime really cared about accessibility, at least more than was typical of the big tech cos @dantheclamman if people with vision would also find it confusing, then you need to describe it in visible text, not in alttext. Remember, not everyone has access to the alttext at all, and in fact, a lot of disabled people who donโt use screen readers specifically *canโt* get to it. If itโs important for everyone, use visible text to describe the image @dantheclamman alt is to literally describe the image, but use visible text to add context & explanation. @dantheclamman Also, if you frequently forget to add alt text, like my ADHD butt, give @alt_text a follow. If you forget it'll poke you.   @dantheclamman I also like inserting my interpretation of my photographs on alt-texts. They should be mandatory. @dantheclamman I believe #Threads has the feature, but maybe not the culture? Apparently, on Threads, if you don't add alt-text then it gets added for you. https://oslo.town/@chrismessina@mastodon.xyz/110738855683029994 |
@dantheclamman Mastadon was my first experience of Atl-text. Seeing and using it has changed how I think about how I describe the world to myself.