Fix the image text alternative icon

[Reinmar]

Right now it's some stock icon of an input IIRC.

[fredck]

I would definitely link this icon to accessibility.

[oleq]

That sounds like a plan. And since text alternative is almost exclusively used by screen readers, I think we should clearly tell the user about its purpose, like

WDYT?

[Reinmar]

Hm... I'd be afraid that a normal user has no knowledge that a content of a web page must be "readable" so there will be no association between the speaker and what is it for.

[oleq]

I'm afraid it's very hard to express the purpose of the alt in a simple icon. And since all the icons must be simple, I'm limited to the very basic symbolics only.

I'd be afraid that a normal user has no knowledge that a content of a web page must be "readable"

Me too. OTOH, this is the only real purpose of alt and if we expect people to create the content which is semantically correct, there isn't much we can do about the way we communicate it.

Maybe let's try some another way: what comes to your mind when you think about text alt?

[Reinmar]

Text alt gives the blind users the ability to "see" the image. I've checked some symbols with "accessibility" keyword:

• http://marketingland.com/wp-content/ml-loads/2015/08/accessibility-800x450.png
• https://css1.www.haltonhealthcare.on.ca/site_Files/Content/accessibility.jpg
• http://www.wellington.ca/en/government/resources/173img1.jpg

There's that icon of a crossed eye. WDYT about the one with two different halves of an eye? One clear and one "fogged"?

[Reinmar]

My line of thought is that such an icon, when used next to an image, a purely visual thing, may ring the right bells.

[oleq]

I checked this blurred eye symbol and it stands for "low vision", which is nothing like text alt. We cannot misuse commonly recognized symbols, I'm afraid.

[oleq]

TBH, we're closer to Closed Captioning symbol in this case except that text alt is for still images only.

[Reinmar]

I checked this blurred eye symbol and it stands for "low vision", which is nothing like text alt. We cannot misuse commonly recognized symbols, I'm afraid.

What's wrong with low vision? Low vision + image gives you what? I don't know what would be my first guess and what would be any other person but at least the tips should be clear themselves. And then you have a label to check which says "text alternative", so when you combine this with "low vision" I think you should be close the answer.

[Reinmar]

TBH, we're closer to Closed Captioning symbol in this case except that text alt is for still images only.

I didn't know that those "CC" letters stay for "closed captioning" and "closed captioning" said nothing to me (I had to check the wiki page). It's not an international symbol IMO yet and it's rooted in English.

An eye is a better symbol IMO.

[oleq]

This eye symbol could suggest that the button changes the visibility of the image, hides it or something. I'll give it a try though.

[Reinmar]

BTW, it's a bit of an off topic, but WDYT about changing the color of the icon to red if the alt is empty?

[fredck]

What about the accessibility symbol, much like the one that we have in the A11y Checker?

[fredck]

BTW, it's a bit of an off topic, but WDYT about changing the color of the icon to red if the alt is empty?

I would not go with anything like that right now. These are the kinds of things that must be extremely well thought before decided.

[Reinmar]

What about the accessibility symbol, much like the one that we have in the A11y Checker?

That icon has no meaning for me – I'd have no idea what it means if I've seen it in the image toolbar. While it may be used to mark entire feature such as a11y checker, IMO, it will be super confusing in the image context.

[Reinmar]

I would not go with anything like that right now. These are the kinds of things that must be extremely well thought before decided.

I didn't mean to think too much on this now, but whether the idea may make any sense. I'll report a ticket for it (see ckeditor/ckeditor5-image#62).

[oleq]

With low–vision icon:

TBH, I'm still rather for the speaker icon here for the same reason from https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor5-image/issues/59#issuecomment-282712998.

[Reinmar]

It was my idea so I rest my vote. But I like it :D

Let's post it somewhere on our channels and see what's the reception.

[oleq]

Something like this maybe instead:

[Reinmar]

Y... "is that a ninja T, mum?" :P

Really, let's not overcomplicate this. An eye has a clear association with sight. "T" has no.

[fredck]

The eye thing is not bad. The speaker is a no-go for me, as well as the T.

[oleq]

Alright, let's stick with the eye. I'll create a PR for this.