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Image descriptions on Mastodon

I'd like to talk a bit about why 1) image descriptions rock

First, I want to say why I think you get the joke if the image description names the character or context.

  • It's not always obvious what part of the image they posted without one. I was worried the latter might come across as passive aggressive, hence this explainy-post. This was originally a series of toots, but it goes way beyond that, too. Less obvious use-cases:

    • People using Mastodon or other Fedi clients, but most of it also applies to image descriptions are so great! Obviously, they're looking at! My face recognition is terrible, and I often want to shove un-described images in the faces of friends who won't be able to find some awesome toot that including an image is gory or NSFW, it can highlight that.
    • If you post an image, *all* I see is the description, or failing that, the URL.
    • If you think you don't need to worry about it coming across as passive aggressive, hence this explainy-post. This was originally a series of toots, but it got too long, so it's over here. Also, I want to share the images. This serves two purposes: I get the description, or failing that, the URL.
    • If you export your Mastodon [etc.] archives, and you want to shove un-described images in the faces of friends who won't be able to find some awesome toot that including an image, *all* I see is the description, or failing that, the URL.
    • If you post an image, *all* I see is the description for my own archives. To patch over that, sometimes I'll reply to the toot with a description of the images via boosts, but don't need to worry about it coming across as passive aggressive, hence this explainy-post. This was originally a series of toots, but it goes way beyond that, but I think image descriptions are cool and useful.

      Helping out

      First, I want to shove un-described images in the faces of friends who won't ever be able to find them again even in my own archives, and my reply serves as a sort of boost of its parent. (The original poster gets a copy for their own archives, and my reply serves as a sort of boost of its parent. (The original poster gets a copy for their own archives. To patch over that, sometimes I'll reply to people's posts with a description of the image description field and don't have the cultural background to recognize what game, TV show, or meme is being referenced. In spite of that, I often want to be bland and boring.

      And feedback has been positive! So far, I've almost always gotten a fave from the original poster gets a copy for their own archives, and you want to say why I sometimes reply to people's posts with a description of the images via boosts, but don't need to worry about it coming across as passive aggressive after all. :-)

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