I keep seeing folks rightly remind people to add alt text to images when posting. If you aren't already, do this! A lot of folks also say it's easy to do, so there's no excuse. I actually find it challenging to write alt text for various reasons, but I *do it anyway* because it's important to do. - ThreadSky

gennhutchison.bsky.social • 32 days ago

I keep seeing folks rightly remind people to add alt text to images when posting. If you aren't already, do this!

A lot of folks also say it's easy to do, so there's no excuse. I actually find it challenging to write alt text for various reasons, but I *do it anyway* because it's important to do.

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t-shirtnshorts.bsky.social•31 days ago

You can touch the screen and copy the text!!! Even add a pic of words and it will give you the copy! Pictures are harder.

terriclarke.bsky.social•31 days ago

Sometimes it’s super easy (like if the image is text that can be copied and pasted, or a simple meme). Sometimes it’s not easy and writing out the alt text takes me longer than writing the post. Either way it’s worth doing.

fynnbytez.bsky.social•32 days ago

Settings> accessibility. You can't skip the alt text this was which helps you remember to add it.

pianoonetrick.bsky.social•32 days ago

Yeah it's super important to do, but it literally does double the amount of work that goes into a post at LEAST. Calling it easy is disingenuous and, like you said, missing the point. Everyone should do it anyway, regardless of it being easy.

gwenloubser.bsky.social•32 days ago

My biggest obstacle to this is remembering to do it.

If you go to settings -> accessibility and click on "require alt text before posting" you'll be required to include alt text on photos you post. Helpful for me, to be sure.

ali-jo.bsky.social•31 days ago

Thanks...and done

bear-not-bert.bsky.social•32 days ago

Guilty! Thank you for the reminder.

sloanefragment.bsky.social•32 days ago

if it’s an image of text you can jus copy/paste.

a lot of ppl probably know this already but i only recently found out.

ppl in replies explain how to do it on android and chrome on desktop.

https://bsky.app/profile/sloanefragment.bsky.social/post/3lgfnmgmq7k2k

amberveee.bsky.social•32 days ago

I forget to do it a lot but I'm trying to remember. I do wonder if there's a specific format intended. I was sharing a gif the other day of Halbrand in his prison cell in Númenor, and the pre-existing alt text said something like 'a bearded man stands behind a window.' I just HAD to change it. 😭

nelle.bsky.social•32 days ago

Thank you. That pre-existing text was useless. I've seen people use a hundred words to describe "Donald Trump wrapped in a flag" without using the words donald, trump, or flag.
You are right. If the point is to show a named individual, alt text must name him.

sirromssur.bsky.social•31 days ago

Curious and want to learn. Do the readers visually impaired people use connect the 300 character post to the 2000 character alt text of an associated image?

nelle.bsky.social•31 days ago

I personally don't use screen readers, but I value other people's time. I think if someone has never seen a specific person, there's no point in making them guess who it is or why that image is relevant to the post.
"Man looking out window" is not the same as "movie character Halbrand in prison"

nelle.bsky.social•31 days ago

And, as someone who had to google "Halbrand" to discover he is a LOTR character, I would have seen the image, probably recognised LOTR style, but not had the emotional response that a fan has. So, Alt Text should say "Lord of the Rings character Halbrand in prison" and expand on that if necessary.

derekasaff.bsky.social•32 days ago

I never know how much to add. I usually just stick to the facts of what is in the image, but sometimes I feel like I'm forgetting to add tone/context.

phil-brighton.bsky.social•32 days ago

You really don't need to add much. It is essentially what the key features are of the image and, if it is an image of words, those words should be added 🙂

sharonkwilter.bsky.social•31 days ago

I'd be happy to do it if I knew what to write.

gennhutchison.bsky.social•32 days ago

Something being "easy" should not be the reason to do the right thing. It helps, and is a bonus, but often the right thing is varying degrees of challenging. That's why it's important to push through and do it anyway. Because other people are worth the effort.

karentintori.bsky.social•31 days ago

I haven't the faintest clue what "alt text" even means. Am having a brain explosion trying to figure out Bluesky, which for me is not as intuitive as other social media sites.

gennhutchison.bsky.social•32 days ago

(This is NOT a critique of people saying "it's easy" by the way. Simply an added perspective that sometimes "easy" stuff isn't, but that doesn't mean it's not worth doing.)

wolfesghost.bsky.social•32 days ago

It's easy to forget, but not hard to do, either. I only recently learned if you're sharing an image with text in it, there's a decent chance OCR will just pick it up and drop it in the alt text for you. It was magic. 0_0

gennhutchison.bsky.social•31 days ago

People keep explaining to me how to do alt text. I literally start the thread by saying I use alt text. (And in no way do I explain what I find challenging about it, so there’s not even an implied question to answer either.)

elisaallechant.bsky.social•32 days ago

You don’t even have to write them you can just speak them. I forced it on myself and occasionally I find it annoying but then I remember how much more annoying it must be for someone who can’t see.

murmurationinthe.bsky.social•32 days ago

Will do!

meganrosati.bsky.social•32 days ago

as a writer i find it kind of a fun challenge to distill an image down to the most important descriptors!!

teawithtolkien.bsky.social•32 days ago

Folks can change their bluesky settings to require alt text - I used to forget to do so, so I switched that setting on. It’s very helpful!

mmirageof.bsky.social•32 days ago

^ This!!! It's a handy reminder because I would forget every time. I also kind of enjoy writing alt text, but that's just me!

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