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PROPOSAL: * Make users aware of it when the validator's generator exemption steps in. * The info - or warning - message should: a) say roughly this: "Exemption: img-s not checked for alt attribute usage because a software package was used to generate the document". b) include a link to the spec's #meta-generator definition and may be also to spec's #guidance-for-conformance-checkers c) recommend what to do in order to obtain info about the page's alternative text usage - such as i) offer to re-validate as if the generator string was not present (if the validator could be programmed to do that) or explain how to remove the generator string ii) recommend (or offer to run) an additional image check, including but not limted to the image report of the NU-validator. BACKGROUND: CURRENT SITUATION: * Silent validator = well known signal that document is error free * Image validation has always been part of HTML validation service THEREFORE: A user of W3's HTML5-conformance checking service deserves to be informed when IMG elements have been exempted from @alt text conformance checking (due to the Generator string). BUT ON THE OTHER HAND: Information must be careful. * We should avoid that the information about the generator exemption leads the author or the tool user to take the validation shortcuts which the generator exception seeks to prevent * But yet also encourage authoring tools to improve - the "threat" that the validator user could run a extra validation will provide such encouragement to tool vendorers.
(In reply to comment #0) > PROPOSAL: > > * Make users aware of it when the validator's generator > exemption steps in. The message should be formulated in such a way that it is made clear to the validator users that HTML5's conformance rules for @alt text still applies and that breaking these rules remains errors, even when the generator string is present.
(In reply to comment #0) > PROPOSAL: > > * Make users aware of it when the validator's generator > exemption steps in. > > * The info - or warning - message should: I would suggest including a link saying something like: The accessibility requirements on the possible values of the alt attributes are defined by WCAG 2.0 [1]. [1] http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/#text-equiv
Withdrawing.