Re: LYNX-DEV ISMAP/USEMAP alt text

[Scott McGee (Personal)]

Klaus writes about my wishes regarding [ISMAP] and related issues.

Actually, Klaus, you were close but not right on. If there is a way to toggle
the visibility of the [ISMAP], then I prefer that to not displaying it at all.
What I would really like, as you surmise toward the end of your note, is some
way to provide a _real_ alt string (possibly empty) rather than having the
[ISMAP] pseudo-alt. Since that doesn't seem likely, then I would prefer that
in the case of both server side and client side maps, that the [ISMAP] either
be displayed _after_ the [USEMAP] (since the USEMAP is _much_ more usefull!)
or have an option to disable display of the [ISMAP].

I am not really on a crusade to modify Lynx, but primarily started out asking
for a way to provide true alt text for the [ISMAP], and finding that was not
availible, seeing what is possible by way of easy modification to enhance the
way Lynx behaves with both client and server side maps. If there is no easy
modification to the current behavior, so be it.

On a side note, if you now browse to 

   http://www.slcc.edu/index2.html

you will find that I have added a text only version. This was _not_ for the
benefit of Lynx, which did a very nice job on the graphical version, but to
provide links to to subsidiary pages that would be picked up with a Lynx
traversal (where I disallow LYNXIMGMAP URL's as my search engine wouldn't know
what to do with them) and, as a side effect, provide a good example of how to
do a site for both graphics and text, and provide for older versions of Lynx
and other lesser capable text browsers as well as GUI browser users with images
turned off, or on slower lines. I actually feel that the text version will be
of most use to my indexing system, and to Netscape users with graphics on, but
on slower lines where they might prefer the non-graphical version's speed.

(That's kind of amusing when you think about it. Lynx gets by really well with
the graphical version, but Netscape users will find need for the text only
version! Ironical, isn't it.)

Scott

Scott McGee: Salt Lake Community College Webmaster | When in danger,
___________________________________________________| or in doubt,
Email: address@hidden (Scott McGee)         | run in circles,
Web:   http://www.slcc.edu/infotech/webmaster.html | scream and shout.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
My opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the College. Trust me!
;
; To UNSUBSCRIBE:  Send a mail message to address@hidden
;                  with "unsubscribe lynx-dev" (without the
;                  quotation marks) on a line by itself.
;