Christina
@VampiresAndRobots@writing.exchange  ·  activity timestamp 6 days ago
#ScribesAndMakers What makes for good alt text?

I'm seeing a lot of conflicting opinions today, so I'll give mine based upon my alt text needs. I'm sighted, but just barely. I don't always get subtle nuance, and some memes confuse me.

So for me: describe the picture. If there is text, copy it verbatim, but don't *just* copy the text if context is needed or there is also a graphic. If there is an implied joke, explain it. Below, in the alt text, I'll give a couple examples of what I prefer:

Bad example #1: What a horrible night to have a curse. Bad example #2: A black sticker with white text. Good example: a rectangular sticker with a black background, blue border, and white text which reads, "What a horrible night to have a curse." Better: A rectangular sticker with a black background, blue border, and white text which reads, "What a horrible night to have a curse." This is from the 80s video game Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. It is a text box that pops up every so often when the game changes from day to night and enemies become more difficult.
Bad example #1: What a horrible night to have a curse. Bad example #2: A black sticker with white text. Good example: a rectangular sticker with a black background, blue border, and white text which reads, "What a horrible night to have a curse." Better: A rectangular sticker with a black background, blue border, and white text which reads, "What a horrible night to have a curse." This is from the 80s video game Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. It is a text box that pops up every so often when the game changes from day to night and enemies become more difficult.
Bad example #1: What a horrible night to have a curse. Bad example #2: A black sticker with white text. Good example: a rectangular sticker with a black background, blue border, and white text which reads, "What a horrible night to have a curse." Better: A rectangular sticker with a black background, blue border, and white text which reads, "What a horrible night to have a curse." This is from the 80s video game Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. It is a text box that pops up every so often when the game changes from day to night and enemies become more difficult.