Alt Text not seen in Macs

CraifCraif Cleveland, Ohio ("round on the ends, high in the middle")
edited February 2005 in Internet & Media
:confused: I have used "Alternative" text extensively with my graphics on a website, only to learn that my Mac web viewers cannot see these little text blurbs when they hover their mouse over the graphic, as Windows viewers can. Is there a way around this for my website design, or on the end of the Mac user? :cool:

Comments

  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited October 2004
    Step 1: Unplug the Apple computer
    Step 2: Locate nearest trash receptacle
    Step 3: Insert computer into trash receptacle
    Step 4: Get a real computer

    :p

    Seriously, I have no idea. What browser?
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    A lot fo Mac folks are switching to browsers that can show ALT text, NEWER browsers. Find out what browser and version the folks who cannot see your ALT clciks are using, and note that using W3C.org validated code can help with more modern Safari and Mozilla-variant browsers that tend to use Sun Java and liek W3C.org validated code and NOT like FrontPage extensions. Remember that the IE version for Macs is an older one and it cannot use many of the FrontPage extension features right on a Mac simply because it is older browser technology. A lot of .ASP sites and FrontPAge sites barf in varying ways on Mozilla 1.7.2 even. In that way and in others. To degree, JAVA code for funstions you want to use instead of FrontPage extensions can give you alternate code for Linux and MAc users that browsers for BOTH boxes can handle right. Opera can run on a limited version set of OS X also, and that might be an option as Opera also handles frontpage sites a bit better than Mozilla for some extensions.

    If you use FrontPage of recent vintage you might need two sets of site code, one for the folks that do not use modern IE and one for folks that DO use modern versions of IE. And browser detection and then branching what feed the user sees by browser detected can help there. Is it YOUR fault or THIER fault??? Neither and BOTH! Niether is totally at fault, and BOTH are partly at fault and the blame is about 6 of one and half a dozen of the other when you get down to nitty gritty (finely granulated or specific) issues like only ALTs not showing. bloth ends need to meet each ohter half way, or you could just not use ALTs for anything except browsers that cannot display the graphics, which is what the purpose of that tag was originally.

    Can you lay a graphic over a text cell in a table, or feed a text cell instead of a graphic cell if needed based on browser detect??? Yup. And the text cell can be what you would stick in an ALT that the user with a browser that cannot parse ALTs WILL see. So, feed based on browser detects, and you do not need ALT tags to do that at all and do it so older browsers CAN see the Identifiying text. That's a hint on how you can meet the users with strange tag issues half way, BTW. It's also the reason my site is so dang simple, I stick mostly with a bit of CSS (not CSS2) and XHTML 1 or HTML 4.01 code. About 95% of the browsers in sue can parse that. It is also mostly W3C.org validated, I use Tidy and a couple other validation checkers here and sometimes run right from W3C.org. Most site complaints I get are not functional, they are spell check fixes for the content.... :) In other words, essentially "HOW COULD YOU MIS-SPELL THAT???!!! :( " feedback things.
  • CraifCraif Cleveland, Ohio ("round on the ends, high in the middle")
    edited October 2004
    My sentiments exactly, but I can't take on that torch to bare. I have only 4% viewers/members that have Macs, but I want to keep them happy. I don't think it matters what browser they are using. All I know is that they are on Macs. ;D
  • CraifCraif Cleveland, Ohio ("round on the ends, high in the middle")
    edited October 2004
    Whew. :confused: What's that Acronym, TMI? My viewpoint and approach is quite simple. I use Dreamweaver to create my website. No FrontPage here. I validate against IE3, NN4, HTML4, CFMX. But, without much concern for it. For this problem, it is the user's issue mostly, unless there is something I can do on my end without giving up the ALT text, as it is an integral part of the delivery of my site. (see [url]HTTP://hudsonhigh1975.datametron.com/HHS_faculty.htm[/url] and will understand the thrust of my ALT text) My viewer audience is limited to a defined member set. But, I'd like to suggest to them something that will help them. :thumbsup:
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited October 2004
    Yeah, Straight_Man has this habit of writing responses the length of Ph.D dissertations.

    Anyhow, I'm not sure I would bother if I were you. Frankly, I don't usually bother to put alt text into my image tags anyhow. I don't think they serve much of a purpose, and I don't really think they're worth the little bit of time and effort it takes to put them in.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    Craif:

    You really should be using "title" instead of "alt".. Here's the reason:

    ALT is intended to show something in lieu of an image if for some reason the image is broken (dead link, server problems, whatever). IE just happens to show ALT tags as a tooltip when an image is moused over.

    What you need will be accomplished by using TITLE in your IMG tag. It will still display a tooltip, and it will work on Safari.

    I am assuming that most of your mac users are using safari, since that is the bundled browser with any modern mac. If they were to use firefox, it may work differently for them. However, to be truly HTML compliant, you should be using title tags for your images instead.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2004
    Geeky:

    Don't take your vision for granted. If one day you were to go blind, you would thank whatever you happen to worship for those who did use title or alt tags to describe images to your page reading software that you would need to surf the web if you were blind.
  • CraifCraif Cleveland, Ohio ("round on the ends, high in the middle")
    edited October 2004
    Prime-

    Thankyou for the refreshing concise answer that I was looking for. While I'm using ALT text for something that it may not have been intended for, it serves the purpose for which I decided to use it and there really isn't a "should be" way in the world of art, which entails web design, albeit, high tech. However, you have directed me to a possible alternative, which is exactly the reason I began this post. So, I will try your recommendation and see if it works out. If not, 'nuff said. :thumbsup:

    Craif

    PS. "Ccccccan't we all jjjust get along" Rodney King
  • MurfMurf
    edited February 2005
    Hello, I know this is an old thread but i came across it when trying to find a solution to a relevant bug.

    I'm trying to display some alt text when I switch off images in safari 1.2.2 on a Mac.

    All goes well until the length of alt text exceeds the css width attribute of the image. Other browsers manage to wrap the text but Safari doesn't show any of it!!

    Can you help please?
  • CraifCraif Cleveland, Ohio ("round on the ends, high in the middle")
    edited February 2005
    I don't know Safari, but you might want to try changing the text from "alt" to "title" type. Do this by either copying your "alt" code with text and renaming "alt" to "title" or just change the word "alt" to "text" :)
  • MurfMurf
    edited February 2005
    Thanks for the reply Craif but unfortunately that doesn't solve it. I have both alt and title tags in the html. Safari uses the title tag correctly as a tool tip when the image is hovered over however, it's the wrapping of the alt text I'm concerned with. I can't believe no-one else has this problem ... it may be that the alt text is excessive but unfortunately that's the client's call not mine ... I just have to "MAKE IT WORK!" :mad:

    Again, any help is much appreciated...
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