I don’t understand why Mastodon apps don’t refuse to post an image until you add alternative text to it.
Or, well, I do understand why, and I’m disappointed by it.
So, Mastodon app makers, why not compete on this? Make “you have to fill in a description when you post an image” be something that just obviously needs doing. Make it so any app that doesn’t do that is obviously falling down on the job. There’s the chance to change the culture here a little bit, right?
I’m an @IceCubesApp person, but I’m told that @ivory is really good, and there are a bunch of other apps too; if you use them, why not nudge them?
@sil @IceCubesApp @ivory Mona has this feature. And an absolute ton of other features.
@mattwilcox @IceCubesApp @ivory ok, so you have that turned off. Did you turn it off deliberately? Or did it default to off?
I’m fine with there being an option. But what I’m suggesting is that the option is on unless you put in effort to turn it off.
@sil @IceCubesApp @ivory The default is off. It’s a losing fight to make it enforced by default; you already *know* what people would do. Type gibberish to get past it fast. Which helps no one.
This isn’t a tech issue; it’s a people issue. And people are, in general, lazy.
@mattwilcox @sil Maybe apps should not display images by default unless they have alt text. Might be a way to nudge behaviour in the right direction.
@intrbiz @sil We all know that would just mean the majority of new users wouldn’t see *or* post images. And / or get very frustrated and bounce off the platform.
It reminds me of XHTML. “It’s not hard; just learn to do the simple right thing, or you get nothing”. The lesson there is; the approach of totalitarian compliance fails even when your audience is pretty smart and already half on board.