Post APOmszIvBYd7lWmnku by SavageGerbil@leadslinger.org
(DIR) More posts by SavageGerbil@leadslinger.org
(DIR) Post #A783HhANbgRP5ZzUPI by guilevi@dragonscave.space
2021-05-10T23:09:39Z
22 likes, 60 repeats
I have encountered more image descriptions on Mastodon in 24 hours than I have in Twitter in a couple of years. Seriously. I'm not exaggerating.As a blind person, this means a lot to me. If you read this and you describe your images, thank you so, so, so much on behalf of all of us. If you don't, now you know you'll be helping random Internet strangers make sense of your posts by typing in a few more words than usual.
(DIR) Post #A783bTWm1cp0a3tgWW by Tepid_Tapir@poa.st
2021-05-11T04:45:33.382831Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi wow I didn't know there were blind people on fedi. I'll try to remember to do that more, but I feel like it will confuse you more than help
(DIR) Post #A787lXZUFFubpoDm6q by ocean@raru.re
2021-05-11T05:32:06Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi Yes yes yes! Image descriptions are a blessing!I've described every image on my account, and Image descriptions are required by rule on RaRu.Re !!
(DIR) Post #A78a01YeLlrxbgWZXs by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2021-05-11T10:48:30Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi I always do! This makes me feel so much better about it; I'm glad it helps.
(DIR) Post #A793toyXDRwNTDaeMy by guilevi@dragonscave.space
2021-05-11T08:09:57Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Tepid_Tapir What makes you think so?
(DIR) Post #A793tpUnHVkF5GgPeS by Tepid_Tapir@poa.st
2021-05-11T16:23:34.043369Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi I'm generally using the description part to differentiate animals as if you can already see them. For example, if I'm discussing the difference between a husky and a malamute, I'll just write 'Husky' and 'Malamute'. Not very helpful for the visually impaired.
(DIR) Post #A793v6PXsNUFprppwG by Mayana@dragonscave.space
2021-05-11T08:11:36Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Tepid_Tapir There's quite a lot of us, yeah. Most of the folks on this instance, for example.Why do you think so? It's honestly not as complicated as some folks make it out to be. Even simple descriptions are miles better than nothing.Consider what message you're trying to send with the image -- is it a cute doggo? A meme' A beautiful flower? -- and try to convey at least a little of that through the text. I'm sure you'll do fine. :ms_smile: And if that's too complicated, an objective description like "a black dog with a ball in its mouth" works, too.@guilevi
(DIR) Post #A793zjTMaW4U8opREe by pyredrid@mastodon.social
2021-05-11T05:43:17Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi What sort of stuff makes a good description? Similarly, what should be avoided when writing image descriptions?I do my best to describe everyhing I upload but I'm constantly worried there's things I'll type that screen readers or braille displays won't pick up on.
(DIR) Post #A793zjx8nntHdAlDeK by Mayana@dragonscave.space
2021-05-11T08:19:29Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@pyredrid I can send examples later if required, but for now here's a short explanation:When writing a description, consider what message your image is trying to convey. If you're posting a pic of the amazing cake you made, you'll obviously want to focus on what type of cake is it and how tasty it looks, rather than the bit of wall you accidentally captured in the background. With a painting, you'd focus on its contents, mentioning the type of paint used only briefly -- unless the paint and style were the focus. So on.Don't be afraid to be less than objective. You aren't writing these descriptions for newspapers. The Fediverse is humans interacting with humans. Trust me, we not only don't mind, but genuinely want to read about how cute that thing your pet does is. :ms_grin: But if objective descriptions are more your thing, those obviously work well, too. Write what you know and enjoy.@guilevi 1/2
(DIR) Post #A793zlemT2OOuoBaJE by Mayana@dragonscave.space
2021-05-11T08:20:42Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@pyredrid If you're just writing normal text, you've nothing to be worried about. Screen readers can generally deal with that, as well as most common symbols and emoji.If it's something specific you're worried about, send it over and we can check it for you.@guilevi 2/2
(DIR) Post #A798m2DGc9vFypaUBE by guilevi@dragonscave.space
2021-05-11T16:29:46Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Tepid_Tapir That wouldn't be very helpful, no. Hopefully you can consider giving a little more detail in the future, now that you know. :)
(DIR) Post #A79fGTm3u7B8gFQJge by radonhawk@cybre.club
2021-05-11T21:41:30.515003Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi I will try to do it more often, I sometimes forget to do it (bad habit)
(DIR) Post #A7FP05hVCzCh4ADJwm by dhfir@expired.mentality.rip
2021-05-14T17:48:16.786945Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi huh. I should start doing that when I upload images, I suppose.
(DIR) Post #A7IFXk9DQrRU00SqbQ by Leftcel_Infilitrator@mstdn.io
2021-05-11T00:22:52Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi How do I describe my images. Do I use the hashtags?
(DIR) Post #A7IFXkZ5se8tIGZVwG by FiXato@toot.cat
2021-05-11T14:57:39Z
0 likes, 1 repeats
@Leftcel_Infilitrator while @guilevi has already answered your question about how to describe images, I'd like to add some information about hashtags. :)Hashtags on Mastodon are primarily used for content discovery. Most servers/instances only allow you to search for toots by hashtags as search for any text in the message (often referred to as 'full-text search') is resource intensive.So, if you want people to find your messages while searching for a specific topic, having the right hashtags in your message is often the only way. Not just for finding other people's messages, but also finding back an earlier status you posted yourself.What can help people with screenreaders when it comes to hashtags, is to capitalise ever word in compound hashtags; also referred to as camel-casing. For instance, rather than #accessibilitytips, write #AccessibilityTips, as some (most?) screenreaders will use that as a word-boundary hint, and thus allow them to pronounce the hashtag as individual words.Whether to use inline hashtags, replacing the actual word, or to list them all at the bottom of your post, is a personal preference from what I understood.If you use a lot of hashtags, I assume a summary at the end rather than inline is probably better, but since I don't use a screenreader myself, I'll defer to the expertise of those that actually do use them.#accessibility #a11y #hashtags
(DIR) Post #A7IFXl2A8ZOWkQAjFQ by Zach777@fosstodon.org
2021-05-16T02:46:24Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@FiXato @Leftcel_Infilitrator @guilevi You can also follow feeds of hashtags via rss fyi.
(DIR) Post #A7If2883KgtFuvVTNY by Leftcel_Infilitrator@mstdn.io
2021-05-16T07:32:02Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Zach777 @FiXato @guilevi Wow you can!?
(DIR) Post #A7VxX6GNiedRHV6sYC by thor@pl.thj.no
2021-05-22T17:30:34.697233Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi this makes me feel legit bad for being too lazy to do that when i post memes
(DIR) Post #A7VxcGnPzBCROd1mTI by thor@pl.thj.no
2021-05-22T17:31:30.833379Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi when people reply to me to add a textual description of the image, i guess they're thinking of you
(DIR) Post #A7YCUvvl3HjcHhoASG by guilevi@dragonscave.space
2021-05-23T19:26:44Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@thor Don't worry about it! It's not something that people think about often, which is why I'm glad my toot eventually got to you. :)
(DIR) Post #A7YCaSEiMq6nvXJ8U4 by thor@pl.thj.no
2021-05-23T19:28:40.033051Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi do you stay calm when people on the Internet keep forgetting that blind people can't see? i tried to make friends with this blind girl on here but she was *very* sensitive about that. anything that reminded her of it would make her upset.
(DIR) Post #A7YCof1jboCVeP0i48 by lienrag@mastodon.tedomum.net
2021-05-22T17:28:45Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@io Interesting...I wouldn't know how to do that, though.@guilevi @vilbi
(DIR) Post #A7YCokggYyvdCrCz5c by io@alt.suicide.holiday
2021-05-22T17:42:45.078855Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@lienrag @guilevi @vilbi okay, suppose you're trying to caption a "loss" meme. these depend on the viewer knowing the structure of one: one person, two people, two people, two people and one lying down. My caption reflects that but doesn't give it away as a loss meme. There's still enough cues though ("standing up", "lying down in a cot") to convey that though.
(DIR) Post #A7YCol4R8fvYOWJx6u by thor@pl.thj.no
2021-05-23T19:31:00.758324Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@io @lienrag @guilevi @vilbi i think you will basically have to employ novelist-type skills if you want to convey a sight vividly in text. that's what much of what novelists do. they paint pictures in your head.
(DIR) Post #A7YD11XniSzixfu8OW by thor@pl.thj.no
2021-05-23T19:33:28.213267Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@io @guilevi @lienrag @vilbi for example, a character doesn't merely "look" at another. "he awkwardly turned to her, a drop of sweat appearing on his brow, making him, for a fleeting moment, resemble a sad goldfish"
(DIR) Post #A7YD90sq3YwXEGYQPQ by thor@pl.thj.no
2021-05-23T19:34:55.047462Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi @io @lienrag @vilbi i'm using visuals, but as i understand it, blind people are capable of picturing these things. it's not like objects having an appearance is completely alien to them.
(DIR) Post #A7YDSxifWuoPCwJGnQ by vilbi@bonn.social
2021-05-23T19:38:17Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@thor And exact that is, whan I can't do. So I stay technical focussed and simple descriptive in my picture texts...When listening to AudioDecriptions of films and Shows like ESC, you get an impression what Thor is describing... @io @guilevi @lienrag
(DIR) Post #A7YDayXANxv63BkbMu by thor@pl.thj.no
2021-05-23T19:39:56.699768Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@vilbi @io @guilevi @lienrag i've noticed that the people who tend to write captions tend to get a bit dry and technical about it in general. it seems there isn't much overlap between the type who likes to write prose and the type who likes to caption images. you get a Wikipedia feel from it.
(DIR) Post #AIx2PI7YvDr2tN6LDc by Seirdy@pleroma.envs.net
2022-04-29T15:38:24.498552Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
@Mayana @pyredrid @guilevi To add: good alt text in webpages is different from good fedi alt text because of expectations. Fedi alt text can be longer and a little less objective.Don't overdo it though, because sighted users who can't load the image rely on alt text fitting inside the image container.You also don't need to repeat your post body. If your post body says "I love it when my cute white kitty snuggles with me in bed!" then your alt text doesn't have to repeat the fact; "close up of said kitty" is sufficient. Excessive repetition isn't super helpful.Really detailed images deserve descriptions too long for alt text, so you can make your alt text brief and make your post say "full caption in reply". You can go wild when captioning in replies.Finally, don't worry. Whatever alt text you put is better than nothing.
(DIR) Post #AJ0rjB5CTeUHzZ7Gbo by calculsoberic@mstdn.social
2022-05-01T15:54:39Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guileviThat makes me happy to know that!
(DIR) Post #AJ20UGBEKxMCCcrGQy by shortwavesurfer2009@dragonscave.space
2022-05-02T05:07:20Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Leftcel_Infilitrator @guilevi most clients have icons on the media to mark it as sensitive (usually an eye) and add descriptions (maybe a pencil or 3 dot menu)
(DIR) Post #AP6cH5mOtrS1SmcYWe by PawelK@qoto.org
2022-10-30T21:42:23Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi Pardon stupid question, I could have asked other friend in similar situation, but he is gone for a second.Is there a standard for storing in an image the transcription? This could make some stuff easier maybe? I mean like automatic transcription for example, before a transport over net, as well as the reader part.Sorry for being too lazy to search for it.
(DIR) Post #AP6jgDVI1DlMKzXpvU by dhfir@expired.mentality.rip
2022-10-30T23:05:23.610752Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi I keep forgetting to do this, but then I rarely post images in the first place.
(DIR) Post #AP6nM5jHc5ZCFckVCC by greenWhale@mastodon.online
2022-10-30T23:46:29Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Leftcel_Infilitrator @guilevi when you add the image to a toot, you click on it. Then you can add a text to that image for screenraders. This works the same in the android app.
(DIR) Post #AP8cDiaj2ta8zeTGFc by chlopmarcin@101010.pl
2022-10-31T20:51:09Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Leftcel_Infilitrator Click on "Edit" in the top-right corner of the preview of the image you upload. See the image attached. @guilevi
(DIR) Post #AP99I2vhcwQNFklvJw by TurdFerguson@noagendasocial.com
2022-11-01T03:01:48Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi welcome good sir. You are the first person I have met that requires text captions. I mostly post memes and cat photos so I hope you can deal with that kind of excitement.
(DIR) Post #APCECE52L5YlLM3tJY by lienrag@mastodon.tedomum.net
2021-05-11T07:44:47Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi Hi.Actually I don't put description on the images I toot there, usually because they're just funny ones and it stops being funny if it has to be described/explained so the extra work seems pointless to me.Would you consider that acceptable ? When do you believe it is important to describe images ?
(DIR) Post #APCECEz2yqMY94GccK by bright_helpings@mspsocial.net
2021-05-11T09:51:41Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@lienrag It is not acceptable to not describe images of jokes. It excludes people.This is a general problem: Abled people don't expect disabled people to participate in jokes and memes and shitposts, but we do. We don't want to be excluded from fun stuff our friends/peers are doing.It doesn't ruin the joke to explain it; anyone who doesn't need/want to look at the description won't.But even if it did, people matter more than jokes. @guilevi
(DIR) Post #APCECFYqpj0Dw71DQO by feld@bikeshed.party
2022-11-02T14:40:21.428934Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
(DIR) Post #APEDVU7TDbZox6jtdQ by PawelK@qoto.org
2022-11-03T13:42:35Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi When I am thinking of it, as the issue to solve, two things come to my mind, 1 could the text description be stored inside special tags in the image file so that you just tag it once?And 2 could authors of web GUI for fedi like @Gargron or authors of android fedi client like @apps be of help?I am trying to add them whenever I can but sometimes I forget, plus sometimes, I am busy and would like to postpone adding text descr or pass it to somebody else.As I think of it, memes with overlaid text over gfx must be a pain. Some wiser layered text over graphics file format could help to solve it.
(DIR) Post #APNVZejRYVSI55QaKu by SavageGerbil@leadslinger.org
2022-11-08T01:17:27.014768Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi Question for ya, has the text to speech gotten smarter? Reminded me of a blind guy that hung out in our old IRC channel full of jackals years ago. There'd be some argument about nothing, like always, so whoever he was fighting with would just type a huge string of special characters. His software would read them all out, always met by a long string of profanity.This was back in the ol' Win nuke days, so he got his vengeance
(DIR) Post #APOmsyqYszweLZW9YG by guilevi@dragonscave.space
2022-11-08T12:27:09Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@SavageGerbil Ahahaha, I mean you can always just interrupt the synthesizer if a string is too long. Maybe whatever they were using didn't let them do that? 😂
(DIR) Post #APOmszIvBYd7lWmnku by SavageGerbil@leadslinger.org
2022-11-08T16:06:06.402169Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi Was mid/late 90's, so "not polished" is probably a pretty generous description of the software
(DIR) Post #APQYcq14wIi3HhlVNQ by matej_lexa@scicomm.xyz
2022-11-08T18:52:32Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Leftcel_Infilitrator @guilevi Hashtags, IMHO, are for categorization, filtering, etc. Here, I suppose, it's better to write a short summary of what the image shows, especially the stuff that visually complements whatever is written above.
(DIR) Post #APQb0mW3nxKlHqnl3o by dick_turpin@mastodon.org.uk
2022-11-09T13:02:18Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@guilevi Next, they'll be asking people to write a brief cover note to explain the Toot. 🤦♂️
(DIR) Post #APQhNp7StJyJkKfShk by bright_helpings@mspsocial.net
2022-11-02T15:30:00Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@feld Holy shit dude, I may be partially sighted but that's more than enough for me to see that you're fully an asshole.
(DIR) Post #APQhNpqqAcGg13thQm by SOB2@mastodon.green
2022-11-09T13:47:03Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@bright_helpings @feld i don't think calling people assholes is a great way to promote positivity on the fedi. other than tone, i agree with you. but tone is also important so as to not hurt feelings and trigger people's defense mechanisms
(DIR) Post #APQhNqCoqtqh7EBFgm by feld@bikeshed.party
2022-11-09T14:13:29.775387Z
1 likes, 0 repeats
I didn't even see his reply until now but the point is that trying to tell *the entire internet* what is "acceptable" content because of being partially sighted is as ridiculous as me trying to tell every chef/restaurant in the world what is "acceptable" food to be served to the masses because I have IBSbeing accommodating of others' needs is a very nice thing to do, but it's impractical to enforce and getting hostile about it is not going to win the hearts and minds of your audience
(DIR) Post #APhpWEMR9NP9Bnyiqe by opendna@mastodon.sdf.org
2022-11-17T20:35:01Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Leftcel_Infilitrator @guilevi When you attach an image to a post there is a message on it which says "No description added".Click that and it'll open a window to add a text description to the image.