For those new Fedizens arriving from #Bluesky, here’s a little introduction to our lord and saviour, John Mastodon.
And remember to always, and I mean always, add #AltText to your images!
John Mastodon (ft. Andre Louis[@Onj])
~ Dgar
“When the darkness fell on blue
In the year of twenty-two
The chanting started to ring true
The call went out to me and you
Join Mastodon
Join Mastodon
How could they have ever known
Their words were forming sacred tones
The ancient forces in the stone
The summoning of flesh and bone
John Mastodon
John Mastodon
John Mastodon, they love their mum
They have alt-text written on
The tattoo on their arm
Of a hairy pachyderm
John Mastodon
John Mastodon
Join Mastodon x8
The chants grew loud as we watched on
The coming of the chosen one
They emerged triumphant from
The ancient portal of Gargron
John Mastodon
John Mastodon
Linking people across the earth
They lead them to the Fediverse
Their admin army show their worth
Shouting loudly in their mirth
Join Mastodon
Join Mastodon
John Mastodon, they’re the one
Who takes the corporate socials on
They give their code to everyone
For every platform you might run
John Mastodon
Join Mastodon
Join Mastodon x8
Sweating blood and guts and tears
And fighting bots and billionaires
An artist and engineer
With indie songs in his ears
John Mastodon
John Mastodon
Ditch the birds and book of faces
Leave behind the corporations.
Tooting old computer cases
Open source on all our bases
Join Mastodon
Join Mastodon
John Mastodon knows all the tricks
Of every distro of Linux
They stay engaged in politics
They fought an army of Fediverse chicks
John Mastodon
John Mastodon”
Hey fediverse, today is the World Sight Day!
How about, as a small gift for the blind and visually impaired folks on here, we step up our alt text game!
Visit alttexthalloffame.org to learn why this is important.
#AltText #ImageDescriptions #accessibility #WorldSightDay
Celebration of the effort, ingenuity, and creativity that goes into making the web a friendlier and more inclusive place, one captioned image at a time.Alt Text Hall of Fame
Newcomers: I’m not going to yell at you about alt text.
But I will tell you, just as a factual matter, if you don’t add alt text to your images they may get fewer faves and boosts. There are people here who rely on it to know what you’ve posted, and many more who won’t engage with media that doesn’t have alt text.
And of course the Section 508 website is not helpful. Sigh.
section508.gov/create/alternat…
#accessibility #AltText #ScreenReader
Section508.gov is the official U.S. government resource for ensuring digital accessibility compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d).Section508.gov
Hello Masto-peeps who use screen readers!
I just learned that I need to put alt text on URLs for more accessible PDFs, but -- what should it say?
I am formatting academic citations that include a URL, so all the information about where that link will take you is in the text. I don't want it to read the URL to you and I don't want to just repeat the same information you just heard. What do you find most helpful in this situation?
Pls boost for reach!
Today I have seen the idea of poisoning image alt text with lies or other nonsense to make data scraping harder. I have little doubt about it working, sounds like something that would prove effective.
However, I will refuse to engage in this behaviour. To me, the function of alt text is not to train AI models. True, it may be a side effect of it. But were I to begin fighting that, I'd lose the main function; I would no longer be providing assistance to the genuine people behind the screen that rely on alt text, for any reason from a list too long to enumerate in this post. Or new ones I hadn't even considered, but should have seen coming.
By all means, fight the good fight. But please remember the people you are doing it for while you are at it. Alt text may not be the medium to take.
Hey y'all, I'm starting an "ALT After Dark" account, inspired by the wonderful @alttexthalloffame! The goal would be to encourage good alt-text on NSFW image posts, as well as showcasing shining examples of spicy alt-text.
Why? Because #AccessibilityIsHotAF, that's why.
What are our goals?
- Promote quality adult content that focuses on consent, community, and accessibility (great alt-text, proper CWs & hashtags) ❤️🔥
- Reduce the prevalence of porn-bot and repost accounts that post without subject consent, without alt-text or CWs, engage in hashtag spam, and lower the safety / enjoyment of folx on Fedi 🚫
- Engage positively with the community and generally be wholesome-ish 😉
How will we do it?
- With well-vetted human volunteers.
- By leading by example.
- With the help if the community.
What do we need?
- An ideal instance to host us.
- An effort to make the Fediverse a better place.
- Volunteers (of which we already have several).
Thoughts on all of this?
Update: It's Alive!!! @AltAfterDark
#NSFW #AltText #HallOfFame #AskFedi
“Out of 949 visual media attached in your 673 public posts with visual media, 935 have alt text. That's about 99%. You're doing a great job!”
I’ll take it! Through it is tempting to go back and fix those outliers…
Check your account here: stefanbohacek.online/@stefan/1…
I made a similar tool for Mastodon (and a few other platforms), for those interested to give it a try! https://data.stefanbohacek.com/projects/fediverse-post-accessibility #AltText #accessibility #ImageDescriptionStefan's Personal Mastodon Server
I was happy to attend #DrupalCamp Ottawa today. Lots of great people I was happy to see.
I also presented about #DrupalCMS & #AI highlighting how it can support better #AltText and & #PlainLanguage
It was also exciting to see so many new people join!
docs.google.com/presentation/d…
Boosting Web Accessibility with Drupal CMS and AI DrupalCamp Ottawa, May 2, 2025 https://drupalcampottawa.com/en/sessions/schedule Web accessibility is a journey—and with the right tools, Drupal can help you get there faster.Google Docs
📢 Introducing the #UnseenImageChallenge! 📢
What if everyone experienced social media the way screen reader users do? Let's find out together!
Visit our challenge website for more information and examples: micr0.dev/unseenChallenge
Post a solid black square image with detailed alt text describing what would have been there. Everyone will "see" the same way screen reader users see the post! This powerful exercise demonstrates why accessible content matters.
Not sure how to write good descriptions? We've created a comprehensive alt text guide at micr0.dev/alttext with examples, tips, and even an interactive quality checker!
You can also DM me the original image, and I'll help generate alt text you can use! (Make sure you are following me first! Mastodon blocks 'unsolicited' DMs!)
Example: Instead of "My cat" try "My orange tabby cat Whiskers lounging in a sunbeam on the windowsill, looking sleepy with half-closed eyes"
The challenge runs for one full week! Join in on any or all of the daily themes.
I'll be boosting exceptional examples throughout the week and featuring creative descriptions. Your participation helps inspire others!
If you find value in this challenge and want to support Altbot's continued development and accessibility work, you can contribute to the project at ko-fi.com/micr0byte. All funds go directly toward server costs, development, and expanding our accessibility initiatives. However, awareness and participation are the most important contributions!
Every day, blind and low-vision people experience the Fediverse entirely through alt text. This challenge helps everyone understand why detailed image descriptions are so important first hand. Awareness is important!
The challenge begins today! Who's ready to make the Fediverse more accessible while trying something new? Make sure to tag three friends who you think should join in!
#Accessibility #AltText #DigitalInclusion
Become a supporter of Micr0byte today! ❤️ Ko-fi lets you support the creators you love.Ko-fi
Oh boo hoo! Someone doesn't like the new alt text warning on Mastodon!
> This warning is extremely annoying, I wish I could get rid of it and be allowed to post images without alt text if I want to without being asked every time like every other website. I know it is not ideal for accessibility, but I'm not going to add alt text because the warning tells me too, I'm too busy already procrastinating my life in other ways.
Go cry me a fucking river.
How can we make assholes like this even more mad?
github.com/mastodon/mastodon/i…
With #117, Mastodon now allows users to add an alternative text to media in order to improve accessibility for visually impaired people. However, many people, including me, too often forget to do s...GitHub
REMINDER: Your resistance goes faster, harder, and further without the use of ableist language. Fascists won't give a fuck, but a whole lot of folk who have been called 'crazy’, ‘insane’, 'stupid’, ‘idiot’, ‘moron’, and so forth hear you every time you do this, and make themselves a little smaller.
The same goes for body-shaming of any kind. It hurts your allies, not your enemies.
Update your vocabulary.
And check for alt text before you post, or boost.
I figured I should make this into a poster. A4 size, but can easily be scaled to fit onto Letter size, for you non-standard Americans out there.
Reuse encouraged, public domain!
Hey Fediverse!
I'm micr0, creator of @altbot, the open-source bot that helps generate alt-text for images on the Fediverse to make content more accessible.
After successfully moving image processing to local hardware with version 2.0, I've now brought video processing capability back - but with a major privacy upgrade! Altbot can now generate descriptions for videos completely locally and privately without sending content to Google or any other third-party services.
Important note: Currently, video processing is visual-only and doesn't include audio transcription. The audio processing Google was doing was some serious black magic fuckery that isn't possible to replicate locally with current technologies. But the visual descriptions are excellent and totally private!
With this update:
I've also maintained Altbot's focus on energy efficiency - while video processing naturally requires more resources than images, I've implemented it to be as efficient as possible, keeping power consumption to a minimum while still delivering great results.
I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who helped me reach my donation goal on Ko-fi with the 2.0 launch! Your generosity made it possible to set up the local processing infrastructure that powers this privacy-focused service.
The response from the community has been incredible, and it means so much to know that privacy and accessibility are values we share.
I'm already working on exciting future developments:
Remember that Altbot has always been and remains fully open-source, with self-hosting being a core feature from day one for anyone who wants to run their own instance.
Altbot currently runs on hardware in my home, which means I'm covering all the electricity costs for powering the GPU server that processes your media. While I've designed the system to be energy-efficient, running a dedicated AI server still impacts my monthly power bill.
Monthly donations would be especially helpful in sustainably supporting:
Even small recurring contributions can make a huge difference in keeping this service running reliably and allowing me to dedicate more time to improvements!
0xC992E57236eb9F30E79d0469446a6CF08Be05939I've added the ETH option for those who prefer crypto or don't want to use PayPal!
Version 2.1 also includes various internal improvements and bug fixes that make everything run more smoothly behind the scenes.
Thanks again for your support in making the web more accessible without compromising on privacy!
Feel free to boost or reach out with questions! For press inquiries: inquiries@micr0.dev
#Accessibility #Privacy #Fediverse #AltText #Altbot
Become a supporter of Micr0byte today! ❤️ Ko-fi lets you support the creators you love.Ko-fi
It might be worth pointing out that not only people with visual and/or auditory impairments benefit from #AltText. It can be useful in many other ways, too.
To me, as an #autistic person whose perception and information processing work in quite different ways, it is not always clear what the point of an image is. Some good alt text can help a lot.
Some clarifying background info in alt text can also be very useful for the general public (which helps to normalise the use of alt text).
My girlfriend bought me a new dress last night and I went a little off the rails trying to describe it in the alt-text 😉
#AltText #AccessibilityIsHotAF #AccessibilityMatters
My 2nd @fosdem talk was Alternative Text for Images: How Bad Are Our Alt-Text Anyway?
fosdem.org/2025/schedule/event…
It is available online:
docs.google.com/presentation/d…
#FOSDEM #FOSS #AI #LLM #AltText #Accessibility
Alt Text for Images: How Bad Are they Anyway? FOSDEM, Feb 1, 2025 25 minutes, Track: Inclusive Web, Room: K.3.201 https://fosdem.Google Docs
main development portal for mozilla.ai. Mozilla.ai has 13 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.GitHub
Oh nice, Mastodon is getting an alt text reminder.
github.com/mastodon/mastodon/p…
#mastodon #accessibility #AltText
Fixes #7804, fixes #13894, fixes #19974, fixes #22875GitHub
A photo of part of a tower computer featuring a headphone jack, a knurled dial switch, and a 5-1/4" floppy disk drive. A large sticker on the computer proclaims: "REMEMBER Turn your computer off before midnight on 12/31/99 - BestBuy"
@BasicAppleGuy next time please ask and there are folks who are glad to write your alt text for you
Get free access to over 60K cat images and breed information. A fully protected and authenticated API to instantly fill your website or app with cat content.thecatapi.com
What do people think of this response to ‘generate detailed Alt Text’ by Gemini:
Here is some detailed alt text for the image you provided:
Alt Text:
A large, menacing grey cat, reminiscent of a monster, stands on its hind legs with its front paws raised. It has glowing yellow eyes and a wide, toothy grin. The cat is surrounded by a fiery aura as it emits a powerful beam of energy from its mouth. The beam is directed towards the Empire State Building in New York City, which is engulfed in flames. The city skyline is visible in the background, with tall buildings and smoke rising from the destruction. The overall tone of the image is chaotic and destructive, evoking a sense of fear and awe.
Additional Notes:
• You may want to adjust the description of the cat's appearance based on its specific characteristics.
• If the image is part of a larger context (like a movie poster or book cover), you could add a brief reference to that context.
• The alt text should be concise and informative, providing a clear description of the image without being overly detailed.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
#Accessibility #AI #AIsoftheBlind #AltText #Blind #ComputerVision
A couple years ago I opened a thread to add #AltText on #Mastodon banners and profile pictures. Now detailed todos are being posted. Is there anyone who could help in this case?
github.com/mastodon/mastodon/i…
#a11y #Acessibility
Pitch The banner and profile picts on the profile site has no ALT or ARIA tags. Blind people can't get information about the content of this images. Motivation Additional text information for image...GitHub
Even though I know #HTML inside out and use it virtually every day, I'm still reading #HTMLForPeople by @bw because it's a prime example of how a good guide should be written.
1. The book is simple and easy to follow, with relevant points explained well enough even for non-coders to understand.
2. Images are clearly described for #blind readers through the use of #AltText.
3. The website is easy to navigate with a #ScreenReader.
4. There are no annoying pop-ups or ads on the website.
5. The book is entirely free of charge.
HTML isn't only for people working in the tech field. It's for everyone. Learn how to make a website from scratch in this beginner friendly web book.htmlforpeople.com
Sometimes we're in a hurry, or we didn't think (or even know) about #AltText , for images and videos, to assist visually impaired and describing text for other languages.
PASS THIS AROUND #Boost
Guide on writing Alt Text: identifying who, the expression, the description, color, and interesting features.
Describe the most important thing first.ericwbailey.website
I'd like to boost this, but:
1. There's no alt text
2. There doesn't seem to be any link to the original source
In the interests of accessibility, avoiding disinformation and getting your post the most reach possible, would you consider fixing these two issues?
Thanks!
#alttext #ai #accessibility #websites #socialmedia https://youtu.be/CHCK43D0jJ0An Alt-Opinon On Alt-Text. In this conversation, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece...YouTube
Still looking for a reason to bother adding alt text to your images here? Here's one: out and about in low bandwidth land images may not ever load. The first image here is what it looks like. The second one shows what you get when the author included a description.
Folks who are blind don't need low bandwidth to experience the difference, in case you didn't know the most important reason.
