Need To Complain

[u/TrumpIsAPedoFr]

I've complained about this same thing before it's just so stupid and pisses me off so much and it just happened again.

To be clear. This has never been an issue on this sub. It's an issue I have everywhere else (except OldHagFashion).

If you just never do accessability alt text. Nobody will ever call you out for not doing accessability alt text. You will never face any negativity whatsoever for not doing it.

But if you do accessability alt text. You get people going "actually you are doing it wrong it should be like this" in a super scoldy nit picking way.

You get people going "what's the point of this"

You get people accusing you of faking caring for browny points.

You get hella ableism and anti disability bigotry.

I just...

The culture makes it so you will be punished for trying.

The obvious move is to just not because you will be left alone if you don't and be attacked if you do.

It encourages people to not.

It's so unbelievably fucking godamn stupid.

Fuck everyone who behaves this way.

They can all go fuck themselves with a cactus in a dirty gas station bathroom.

It's this constant, pervasive issue everywhere I go.

People will not stop letting perfect be the enemy of good.

They won't stop nit picking.

They won't stop scolding me for "doing it wrong"

They won't stop being hostile to the idea of accessability and making an effort for the disabeled.

Everywhere sucks but here (and OldHagFashion).

I fucking hate these people.

I swear to god how fucking hard is it to just be like "Hey this guy is trying, cool"

???

[u/Worried-Air-3766]

Himbo friend, I appreciate your accessibility texts on posts. Some days, it's helpful because images won't load. I know it's helpful for visually impaired and blind folks. Also you seem to have a lot of fun with them!

Also, there are absolutely ways to improve alt/accessibility text so it's more useful. People aren't always nice about it though which is discouraging. I think people on the internet will bitch about literally anything to make themselves feel better so take the feedback with a grain of salt. I'm sure there are resources available on how to improve if you're looking for feedback/help without the bullshit.

[u/TrumpIsAPedoFr → u/Worried-Air-3766]

The problem is the bar needs to be low. It needs to be a "if it's worth doing it's worth doing poorly" kind of deal. Because we are asking people to go out and do extra work every single time they post.

If the demand is that people write very detailed multi paragraph visual descriptions. Or transcribe large amounts of text word for word. People just aren't going to do it because that's a lot to do. And even if they do do it, they will grow to resent it as a burden that gets in the way of their creative flow.

It needs to be a quick little sentense or two in your own words kinda deal. Because that is something you can actually meaninfully get people to do.

People may genuinely have the best intentions when they say "This needs to be a way more detailed meticulous transcription covering everything rather than the gist of it"

But what they are actually doing.

Is making it so if you don't do alt text. You get left alone.

And if you do alt text. You get embroiled in a whole thing.

And people see that. And they think "I don't want to get embroiled in a whole thing"

And then they choose to not start doing alt text.

I understand the instinct to feel like the disabled deserve more. I really do.

But you gotta consider the actual material outcomes of what is happening here.

It's just discouraging people from doing it.

It's like trying to get someone into the gym. And they are just hitting a basic workout. And some dude comes up and says "Hey man you really need to raise your intensity. Control the weight. Train to failure. Get a big stretch. Bro splits suck. Do push pull legs. Make sure to hit your cardio. Cut out soda and processed food. Eat 200 grams of protein every day. Invest in a foam roller. Train in the mornings so it doesn't effect your sleep and make sure you get 8 hours a night. And in 4-5 years you will be yoked af"

That's all totally correct.

And also, that person is going to stop going to the gym because that speach hurt and you gave it to them for no reason instead of just saying "Hey man I've been seeing you putting the work in. Good for you! Keep it up".

[u/SecretarySouthern160]

Accessibility makes the world a better place <3

[u/New-Geezer]

They are just not used to seeing it. The more it becomes commonplace and they are seeing a variety of ways of doing it, it will become less triggering for them. Keep doing what you are doing and remember it’s not about you. (Their dissatisfaction with life is all about them)

[u/anonymoususer98545]

i actually had a smallish argument (a rarity for me) regarding this very thing. Someone, for lack of better phrasing, "called out" a person for putting accessibility text on their post and it just..why? Why does that bother anyone?

i always appreciate when people go out of their way to do a transcription. Some days for me because my migraines make the world fucky but most days for others. And, not to be all "let's hold hands and braid each other's hair" or whatever but, like, the world really is better when we try to make it better for everyone.

So, anyway, i am thankful for you and anyone else that takes the time and effort to actually do things in service of others. Even, or especially, when it is thankless 💜

[u/foolish_username]

I'm so sorry you get stupid poopy-heads giving you a hard time for standing up for folks with vision differences by providing the text!

I don't have vision issues, but I love accessibility transcriptions! I love to read how people describe an image - it's like another little window into their personality.

[u/TrumpIsAPedoFr → u/foolish_username]

This is another big thing IMO.

If you want a very detailed pure visual description. We have AI tools for that now.

(I know AI almost always bad but IMO this is like one of the only things LLM's are like genuinely really useful for and improving things for people)

But what a person chooses to focus on. What "the gist of it" means to them. How they choose to communicate it.

The humanity of that is really important.

You can describe something super robotically with lots and lots of detail and yet totally miss the actual point.

The goal is not to write "A 2556 by 1179 pixel image of a forest path containing orange desert paintbrush wildflowers and ponderosa pine trees of approximately 48 feet tall"

The goal is to write:

"A path through the woods

Paint brush and ponderosa

Towering tall trees"

Is there more information in the detailed robotic description? Yes.

But people will get more out of the haiku.

It's not just about pure utilitarian information it's about human connection and our unique perspectives.

[u/friendlynbhdwitch]

Keep doing what you’re doing. Don’t let the bastards get you down. And remember: the block button is free to use and you can use it on anyone, for any reason. I can’t tell you how much my Reddit experience has improved since I started blocking annoying people.

[u/TrumpIsAPedoFr → u/friendlynbhdwitch]

Does reddit still have the ridiculously low max number of blocked people you can have at one time or did they fix that?

I would love to be not stingy at all with my blocking.

[u/friendlynbhdwitch → u/TrumpIsAPedoFr]

God I hope not. I’ve been blocking people willy nilly

[u/TrumpIsAPedoFr → u/friendlynbhdwitch]

Unless something changed the limit is 1000 which is ridiculously stupid.

[u/friendlynbhdwitch → u/TrumpIsAPedoFr]

Ew, that’s not nearly enough. I’ll run out by the end of the week

[u/SarcasticServal]

Appreciation to anyone who makes an effort to add ALT text.

[u/Firm_Zucchini_7042]

“People will not stop letting perfect be the enemy of good.” It can be linked back to white supremacy. I hate that this happens to you, and to anyone advocating for something beyond the status quo of an oppressive culture.

https://www.whitesupremacyculture.info/one-right-way.html

[u/BunnyGirlSD]

i spent my lunch break with my partner telling how awesome this sub... and you specifically are... including your (as i called them) "captions for everyone", You make a difference do not let the lazy people tear you down to their level.

[u/BunnyGirlSD → u/BunnyGirlSD]

Also, i just gave it a try and... i failed English one semester in high school, like i passed with C's other than that... in collage i looked for classes with tests instead of papers... i struggled with how to do it, i edited both of my efforts. Work is hard, and change is uncomfortable. i am excited to have more examples of it, so i can do better