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Re: text-only version of web pages

for

From: GF Mueden
Date: Jan 30, 2013 10:04AM

I can't fight evidence and must back off on those points.
My need remains. Have you a solution to offer?
===gm==

On 1/30/2013 11:41 AM, Chagnon | PubCom wrote:
> GF wrote, "When ordering groceries on line, it is not necessary that the
> list of departments have a graphic incorporated for each department."
>
> Actually, for the company selling groceries, it is necessary.
>
> Statistical research shows that nearly 100% of fully sighted customers
> interpret and comprehend the graphic before reading the actual text. So
> website visitors will recognize an apple graphic for the produce department
> and a fish graphic for the seafood counter faster and more accurately than
> if only words designated the departments. This has been so convincingly
> proven by marketing and psychological research for over 100 years that it is
> no longer studied. It's an accepted truth in the business and advertising
> world.
>
> The message contained in a graphic (that is, a photo, illustration, or logo)
> is interpreted and comprehended in less than 1 second by someone who is
> fully sighted (0.8 seconds if I remember correctly). That same message in
> words will take several seconds, maybe even minutes to have the same impact,
> and the worded message will often be misinterpreted or misread. The old
> saying, "a picture is worth a thousand words" is accurate.
>
> Your comment, "I have no objection to graphics where needed to tell the
> story, but I do object when it is obvious that the designer is just showing
> off," points in the wrong direction to find a solution for your visual
> disability.
>
> Websites with beautiful graphics, eye-catching designs, animations, rotating
> slideshows and carousels, and all the other "show-off" stuff complained
> about on WebAIM out-sell, out-market, out-persuade, and in all other
> criteria outperform websites without these features.
>
> So these visual features are not going to go away because they make a lot of
> money for the website owners.
>
> GF wrote, "I am not for outlawing graphics, but please give me the choice.
> The ability to "X out" graphics would be appreciated."
>
> You're right, that's a solution for you.
>
> Given that all graphics on a website use the <image> tag in the HTML code,
> it might be possible to create a code widget that can hide the graphics for
> you. Click and graphics are hidden, click again and they are visible.
>
> But I wouldn't wait for the solution to be built for you. Pigs will fly
> before that happens!
>
> Why not reach out to the coder community and find someone who can co-create
> this with you? There's probably a college student somewhere in the world
> studying computer science who needs a small project like this for his
> coursework. Heck, there might be someone in Computer Science at Utah State
> University, which hosts WebAim. It could be sold as a $9.99 code widget to
> web developers, who then can add that feature to websites.
>
> GF wrote, "My "Advice for Publishers", written for the benefit of those who
> still read with their eyes but not well, is available as an email down
> load."
>
> I'd love to read your ideas, GF. Please forward it to the list or to me
> directly.
> -Bevi Chagnon
> <EMAIL REMOVED>
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