Re: LYNX-DEV www.sony.com and lynx?

[Robert Bonomi]

+ Date: Tue, 3 Jun 1997 13:55:39 -0600
+ From: address@hidden (Scott McGee (Personal))
+ Subject: Re: LYNX-DEV www.sony.com and lynx?
+ 
+ John wrote:
+ 
+ >>>>
+ I think the problem is the way lynx handles ALT="" tags, e.g.,
+ 
+    <IMG SRC="WHATEVER" ALT="">
+ 
+ In my opinion, when this occurs, lynx should regard this as meaning:
+ 
+    <IMG SRC="WHATEVER" ALT="WHATEVER">
+ <<<<
+ 
+ We already argued this point just a few weeks back. If there is an empty
+ ALT attribute, it should be honored! I for one use them regularly to tailor
+ the Lynx view of a page for best results.

I'm in _absolute_ agreement on this.   I'm another person who deliberately
_uses_ ALT="" for _improved_ readability.

+                                           If you want to see what's there,
+ use the "show images" toggle ('*').

Speaking of -THAT-,  I'd like to propose that this toggle display things,
not as  "[IMAGE]",  but as "[{name}]", where "{name}" is the 'least
significant component' of the fully-qualified pathname of the image.
e.g. "[CORPINFO.GIF]"  for <IMG=/disk2/home/www/images/corpinfo.gif>.

Rationale:  _Most_ of the time, there *is* _some_ 'intelligence' transmitted
by the -name- of the image.  Nowhere near as much as a 'proper' ALT= string,
of course.  Worst-case, the name is meaningless -- e.g., they just serial-
numbered the images.  However, this scenario is _no_worse_ than the present
one, where 'image' conveys absolutely -nothing- about the content.

So, at worse, this is no worse than the present [IMAGE], and in all other 
cases, it is superior.

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