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.

What's New in 2.1?

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:

• All processing happens locally with zero data retention
• Complete privacy for all content
• No data used for training models
• Videos processed with the same privacy standards as images

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.

Thank You for Your Support!

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.

What's Next for Altbot?

I'm already working on exciting future developments:

• An Altbot API that will allow developers to integrate alt-text generation into their applications
• Direct integration with Fediverse software platforms - I'm collaborating with instance developers to make accessibility a built-in feature!

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.

Supporting Ongoing Development & Infrastructure

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:

• Ongoing electricity costs
• Time spent on development and maintenance
• Future infrastructure improvements

Even small recurring contributions can make a huge difference in keeping this service running reliably and allowing me to dedicate more time to improvements!

Ways to Support:

• Ko-fi (one-time or monthly): ko-fi.com/micr0byte
• Ethereum: 0xC992E57236eb9F30E79d0469446a6CF08Be05939

I'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

Buy Micr0byte a Coffee. ko-fi.com/micr0byte

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).

One significant way Mastodon and the Fediverse have transformed digital culture is through the use of alt text. When I look back at my older images online and in my blogs, I rarely included alt text - even though I actively work on accessibility. For some reason, I simply overlooked it.

Now, every time I post something online, I take a moment to write alt text. Mastodon has changed my mindset, and I believe its impact extends far beyond this. The Fediverse encourages a level of consideration for others that no other social networking platform has before.

#A11y #Accessibility #AltText #Mastodon #Fediverse #SocialWeb #SocialNetwork #SocialMedia

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

@JamesHMcLaren #AltText:

I challenge every Canadian and American to post these numbers on their feeds. They speak for themselves.

Migrants (irregular entry in 2024):
• From Canada to the U.S.: 18,644
• From Mexico to the U.S.: 2 million
• From U.S. to Canada: 28,000

Fentanyl (seized in 2024):
• From Canada to the U.S.: 43 pounds
• From Mexico to the U.S.: 21,148 pounds
• From U.S. to Canada: 882 pounds

Illegal Guns (2024):
• From Canada to the U.S.: 3,000
• From Mexico to the U.S.: 16,000
• From U.S. to Canada: 30,000

(Figures on migrant entries and fentanyl seizures supplied by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.)

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

FOSDEM 2025 : Alternative Text for Images: How Bad Are Our Alt-Text Anyway?

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}

Oh nice, Mastodon is getting an alt text reminder.

github.com/mastodon/mastodon/p…

#mastodon #accessibility #AltText

"A picture says a thousand words."

I'd like to amend that phrase:
"A picture says a thousand words but says nothing if you don't include alt text."

Alt text is a means of providing a visual description of what is in the image. If not included anything you are trying to portray is lost for people with blindness or a vision impairment.

I love to boost and like posts on the Fediverse but don't if there is no alt text present. It's not a hard task to do and most social web apps have the option to remind you to add alt text before you post them.

Please make your posts accessible to all and make the social web a truly inclusive environment.

#a11y #AltText #images #accessibility

As someone who is totally blind, the Fediverse is the only place where I have ever been able to follow people such as photographers, artists, or even those who post pictures of their cats or the food they ate. The reason is that most of them use alt text. They take the time to describe the images that my screen reader can't recognise. Some write the descriptions themselves, and others use tools such as altbot. Some worry that their descriptions aren't good enough, especially when they are new at this. Let me assure you, not only are they good enough, they are extremely appreciated! If the rest of the world thought as you did, it would be a much better place. Don't hesitate to ask if you're unsure of something, but never think that we don't notice your effort.

#appreciation #accessibility #altbot #alttext #blind #blindness #fediverse #gratitude #images #inclusivity #peoplewhocare #pictures #technology

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"

#Alt4You
#AltText

@BasicAppleGuy next time please ask and there are folks who are glad to write your alt text for you

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

Add ALT-Tag to banner and profile pictures and make the value editable for acessiblility reasons · Issue #10313 · mastodon/mastodon

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.

htmlforpeople.com/

HTML for People

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}

Repost mit #AltText

#SZ #Verkehrswende #Ensham #SUV

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.

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!

#accessibility #AltText #Disinformation #Tuta #Journalism

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.

#alttext #images #photography

Reminder: #AltText is not a place for copyright information, or additional details about the image.

Put that into a separate post, for the love of god.

It's as if you were blocking a bike path with a street sign.

The purpose of alt text is increased accessibility, so when in doubt, ask yourself if the text you're adding helps blind or visually impaired folks better understand what's in the actual image.

#accessibility

"How can you use AI, it steals things people share online, it burns down the planet!"

"Alright, do you mind telling me what's in this picture you posted online?"

"Ah. Carry on."

#AltText #accessibility #AI

Hey, if you don't like the fact that many #blind people have to rely on AI to describe images for them, you can help by, you know, describing images for them.

mastodon.social/@botwiki/11147…

#AltText #accessibility #ai

The contorted excuses people concoct to excuse not adding #altText boggle my mind.

Case in point: even if alt text is "now primarily used to train AI" [citation desperately needed], as I've just seen claimed, there are still real-world humans who benefit from it, just as there have been since the web emerged.

If AI tech is now being trained on alt text, it's also now being trained on all the rest of your whatever.

By only concerning yourself with the alt text, you're routing all the AI-related harm to screen reader users, actual humans who already experience massive social & technical marginalization.

Solve the image issues for humans.

Then, in parallel, solve your more widespread AI problem (like adding rules to your robots.txt darkvisitors.com/docs/robots-t… ).

It's much simpler to just start adding "cute cat" to your cute cat photos than it is to invent new excuses for behaviors that ultimately just harm screen reader users.

Here's a great alt text guide! axesslab.com/alt-texts/

Alt-texts: The Ultimate Guide

This post contains everything you need to know about alt-texts! When to use them and how to perfectly craft them. By me, Daniel, a web developer with vision impairment who use a screen reader in my day-to-day life.

^{Daniel Göransson (Axess Lab)}

A few extra seconds of your time it takes to add a good image description can really improve someone's day.

"To a totally blind person like me it means a lot to have a picture in my mind of your images, especially the animal pics."

"I don't know what it is, but as a blind user it's making me emotional to be able to actually interact with content."

alttexthalloffame.org

#accessibility #a11y #AltText #ImageDescriptions

#SocialCoop has been discussing whether to disable images on May 16 and October 10 for #WorldSightDay, as suggested here stefanbohacek.online/@stefan/1….

One concern raised about this proposal is that it is symbolic and might not do anything to improve the lives of people with visual impairments.

I would like to hear perspectives from people with visual impairments on whether this kind of action is helpful.

(boosts welcome; please only reply if you rely on alt text)

#accessibility
#a11y
#AltText

Stefan Bohacek (@stefan@stefanbohacek.online)

Attached: 1 image In solidarity with the blind and vision-impaired community, I propose that twice a year, on the World Sight Day and the Global Accessibility Awareness Day, fediverse admins disable images on their servers to highlight the importanc…

^{Stefan's Personal Mastodon Server}

If you're #blind, #VisuallyImpaired, or otherwise rely on #AssistiveTecnhologies and #AltText, your thoughts on this proposal to temporarily disable images across the fediverse to highlight the importance of well-written image descriptions would be very much appreciated.

social.coop/@dynamic/112349215…

Please boost the original post for reach!

#accessibility #a11y

One thing I learned when making an 88x31 badges page: it is actually a really good example of one of the few times you should keep #AltText generally short.

When you have dozens of tiny badges on a page, it should be easy to skim them the same way it is for a sighted user. It shouldn’t take an hour to finish reading the page.

#AltText

a porcentaxe de imaxes publicadas no mastodon.gal que teñen un texto que as describe é mínima. Non todas as persoas actúan do mesmo xeito, pero tendo habilidade e tempo para escribir media dúcia de cancelos que acompañan á publicación, tampouco é un traballo enorme engadir unha breve descrición á imaxe e axudar así a persoas con dificultades visuais, a aportar contexto ao que se ve, a que os lectores de pantalla poidan facer a súa labor e a ter empatía con quen nos le.

Incluso hai servizos (iniciativas) como #AltText4Me para intentar axudar a quen o precise.

Todos os clientes coñecidos teñen no seu editor un apartado para engadir esta descrición.

A veces vexo un certo patrón, como se fose cool ou algo así tirar aí unha imaxe e que se apañen, unha artistada snob.

Xa pode ser ben fermosa que non lle poño nin estreliña ⭐

De etiquetar as nosas publicacións idioma #galego xa falamos outro día.

mastodon.gal

mastodon.gal é unha instancia en galego de Mastodon para a comunidade galega.

^{Mastodon aloxado en mastodon.gal}

MEMO TO THE MEDIA:

Give the people the full picture

via @rbreich
#Media #Inflation #Profits #AltText

I have one image, and two very differing descriptions of said image. The first is from #Llava13B, a local model installed on my #Mac, and the second is from #GPT. The GPT response is so huge that I'm going to have to post it as threaded replies, but it shows the vast difference between models. For this first post, the Llava13B response has been included as #AltText.

1/

I’m sorry but the interface for adding alt text (image descriptions, which all images should have) on mobile is terrible in most apps. Here is tumblr and the Mastodon app. 👎 #mastodonsupport #mastodonapp #alttext

(please do not reply telling me to use desktop, I do, it’s great, or with other work-around suggestions. I just posted the names of 30 insects using OCR and a host of other tools— I’m the queen of work-arounds! the point here is that “accessibility” shouldn’t be an afterthought!)