Personally I think alt-text is valuable for everyone, not for just people with visual impairments.

[jkanev@fediscience.org]

@Yehuda Extremely often there are additional message there. Or explanations. Like, it says this is a photo of pop group xyz who I've never heard of. Or explains a pun. Often people add an extra joke.

[helenisenough@masto.ai]

@erikcats @bigtuffal @Yehuda

Just so. Which part of this picture do I want the onlooker to focus on.

Plus some alt text is hilarious. Not mine but I do like hunting for Easter eggs

[helenisenough@masto.ai]

@mwt @Yehuda

Yes, alt text for an image with writing is a blessing for my predbyopia

[w_b@mastodon.world]

@Yehuda

Sometimes it is easier to read the transcription in the alt-text than the text in the image. Also I can copy the alt-text in a foreign language and get a machine translation.

[o_o@mastodon.nu]

@Yehuda mostly i use it when a) I don’t get the joke and hope there’s an explanation, b) I don’t get the text because it’s in a different language but alt text can be translated.

[erikcats@dice.camp]

@Helenisenough @bigtuffal @Yehuda i will at times be the easter Bunny

[pvagner@fedi.ml]

@Cassandra @equalitysiren @Yehuda Yes, screen readers actually do read the poll choices.

Additionally for screen reader users saying I'm a screen reader user And I skip reading alt text is very rare if not inpossible as screen readers are setup to present the images with alt text and skip images without it by default.

[nieuemma@mastodon.de]

@Yehuda I use Mosjhidon, and images don't load by default, I only see alt text. If a post has an image with no alt text, the post is hidden.

[epic_null@infosec.exchange]

@gub @Yehuda I can see where there may be a cultural issue here, but I suspect a lot of that issue comes from Mastodon being one of a small number of places where alt text is actually both setable and readable to anyone without specialized tooling.

[murdoccc@infosec.exchange]

@Yehuda I'm torn on this issue. Accessibility is important, but companies that use our content to train their algorithms can go to hell on the express way. If this poll ends with only 2% of users in need of alt text, it might change my behavior.

[dragomana@frikiverse.zone]

@Yehuda I read ALT text for several reasons:
-Gives me the context of memes and other pics I don't understand just by looking at them.
-A certain image won't load (app issues, server issues, connection issues).
-I'm curious to see how other people describe images. I genuinely enjoy it sometimes as someone interested in writing, and it gives me ideas for my own ALT descriptions.

[defractal@infosec.exchange]

@Yehuda #AltText is the curb cuts of online discourse: it’s necessary for a Disabled minority, but the beneficiaries are predominantly others who could get by without it. It improves the place for everyone.

[cassandra@ottawa.place]

@pvagner Thank you!

[steveclough@metalhead.club]

@Yehuda Sometimes. Maybe not often.

I agree that it is really important for everyone.

[thomas@pleroma.tcweb.org]

@Yehuda
Where is option : i never read alt-text

[nilajones@zeroes.ca]

@Epic_Null @gub @Yehuda

Well that's the problem

Mastodon culture acknowledges that someone some people need alt text due to disability

But it does not acknowledge that some people cannot see, hear, or read alt text, due to other disabilities

I think the point @gub is making is that by putting jokes or extra info in the alt text, people are excluding some of the disabled folks here

[karen5lund@mastodon.social]

@Yehuda I'm not visually impaired but usually read alt-text.

Some of it is beautiful. Some calls attention to details I might have missed, especially reading on a small screen. Sometimes there are Easter eggs. I've seen alt-text in two, even three languages! And if I'm going to share a post I check for alt-text *and* read it. Once caught an account that always put "Follow us on Facebook" in their alt-text, which I promptly muted.

#AltText

[karen5lund@mastodon.social]

@anantagd @Yehuda Interesting to know. Thank you.

[karen5lund@mastodon.social]

@o_O @Yehuda Translated alt-text is awesome!

[helianthropy@tech.lgbt]

@murdoccc @Yehuda I hear what you’re saying. Our images might be used for training too—it’s a messed up world. I do want to point out that at this point a single percent of respondents represents hundreds of people. Alt text could also make all the difference for one person who decides to follow you.