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Alt Text: What to Write
https://www.nngroup.com/articles/write-alt-text/
Did you know that you should end your alt text with a period?
"End alt text with a period, even if it isn’t a full sentence. The period ensures that the screen reader pauses after reading the alt text."
If not seen already @stefan
@cybeardjm This is a good tip, thank you!
I was already doing this, but didn't know it was useful.
@cybeardjm This is absolutely powerful helpful guidance. I am improving my alt-text practice all the time.
@cybeardjm a few dozen more posts like this and I might be marginally competent at making alt text. Next post on the topic, are there any goofy keys I shouldn’t use because it freaks out a screen reader? Any other weird things like how it paces the words or will it do a funny accent if something is in the wrong bracket/parenthesis?
@Buthowhighishigh Am not able to answer, but @stefan might have leads to answer this.
I'd say, the KISS method is the best way: Keep It Simple, Stupid! It works all the time ;-)
But, sure, outside of English, what about special characters (e.g. I know many/most/all emojis should be avoided)?
@cybeardjm @Buthowhighishigh Great question!
I have an article at https://stefanbohacek.com/blog/polls-about-alt-text-on-social-media/ with some tips and links to resources -- and happy to add more!
@stefan @cybeardjm @Buthowhighishigh
maybe slightly OT, but I was told once that using those (ノಠ益ಠ) 🄵🄰🄽🄲🅈 𝓤𝓣𝓕 𝓯𝓸𝓷𝓽 𝓰𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓻𝓪𝓽𝓸𝓻𝓼
★·.·`¯´·.
@axwax @stefan @Buthowhighishigh Indeed - not sure if many use them for alt descriptions though...
For one, don't put line breaks into your alt-texts. It doesn't matter whether Mastodon renders them. A lot of things in the Fediverse that aren't Mastodon don't render them.
Besides, don't use the quotation marks on your keyboard. They may irritate certain frontends from rendering them as " to ending the alt-text prematurely because they take the first quotation mark in an alt-text for the end of the alt-text.
#Long #LongPost #CWLong #CWLongPost #AltText #AltTextMeta #CWAltTextMeta #FediTips
@cybeardjm how about screen readers actually improve their screen reading experience instead? This is a rubbish "api". What am I missing? Why is _not_ making a pause when reading alt text the default?
@dominykas @cybeardjm It isn't a topic I know in much detail but I had the same reaction. If a pause after the alt text is always desirable, could the software just do that?
@cybeardjm 
Eye did NOT know that!
@cybeardjm i have been lazy about this, thank you for the knowledge drop =)
@cybeardjm I did not know and have now been taught! Cheers
@cybeardjm much simpler for the screen reader, which 'knows' it is reading alt text to just pause at the end by default.