A reminder that the Micro.blog Discover timeline is more likely to include your post if you include an accessible text description for your images.
If you use automation to include ALT text, check the results. Some generated text makes your post less accessible with text that is not descriptive.
@jean I have noticed that some generators use the file name as ALT text, and others repeat the visible post text as the ALT text. If you remember that a person using assistive technology will have to listen to the screen reader read these ALT entries, you can imagine how annoying and unhelpful these automated descriptions would be.
@jean Thanks for this! I've not been able to locate the ALT prompt in either iOS or browser, either tapping thumbnail or edit post, so I've been including contextual descriptions in the post itself. What am I missing? Just tried again in both (and I have lots of experience adding descriptions in Substack, LinkedIn, etc.).
@ablerism There is a tiny thumbnail that appears when you upload a photo, but before you post, both on the app and the web. When you tap that, you’ll see “Accessibility description” as an option. Let me know if that works for you.
You can see it in action in Sven’s / @sod’s excellent Micro Camp talk about accessible microblogging (YouTube link).
@jean the way I teach people to think of alt text descriptions is if you were describing a photo to someone and you were on a regular phone call, not a video chat, how would you describe it to them? What aspects of the photo are so important that someone who can't see it needs to know? 
@jean What's the stance on text-only posts? Are those now less likely to be included for not having a photo?
To my aging eyes it seems so, from judging the current posts on the Discover timeline. This is a slippery slope. Next we know, we must include video clips a la TikTok, and this timeline slides down to the level of attention-grabbing empty performance I hate so much on Meta's services.
@renevanbelzen No, that isn’t the stance. We don’t keep statistics on Discover. The ratio of photos to text-only posts varies depending on what is being posted that day.
@jean I think it would be cool if the app gave you a prompt before posting to add a tag if you hadn’t already! Something I forget sometimes is to add one, could be if I am in a rush or just plain forget, not an excuse I know but the additional prompt could really help.
@richhowell I like that idea. It would have to be optional and then it would need a setting, which would add another element of complexity to our apps, so we need to weigh that against the benefit.
It’s finally become a habit for me. A photo post feels unfinished until I add the ALT text.
