Call to all Mastodon Newcomers
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Call to all Mastodon Newcomers
Welcome to all!
How can we improve the #onboarding process? If you joined in the past few weeks can you let us know what was difficult when you joined and/or once you had joined?For example:
- I didn't know which server to join
- it took too long for my joining request to get accepted
- I wasn't sure how to find people to follow
(The aim of this post is not to collect answers to the problems but rather detect all potential obstacles to joining & starting to use Mastodon. Please boost around!
)#Mastodon #MastodonTips #NewHere (not me, but my target audience)
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@elduvelle ah I remember my onboarding at my first account on scholar.social, feeling totally confused about how to use it, and my first interaction with anyone was getting told off after my first post for not including alt text. Was so happy when we started neuromatch.social so I could move here.
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@neuralreckoning thanks for the input!
The alt-text scolding does get mentioned quite often. I think it's nice to push people to write Alt-text, but not sure what would be a nice(r) way to reach that goal, without pushing people away.Is it just a question of tone (they're not asking nicely) or quantity (many answers asking the same thing because they can't see that someone else already asked)? Or people just don't like to be advised on how to use a network? How could we improve that? A little pop up or warning before sending a post?
(Sorry for all the questions, they're for everyone generally, not just you
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#AltText -
@elduvelle @neuralreckoning If alt-text was compulsory nobody would have to mention it?
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@albertcardona @elduvelle @neuralreckoning If it was compulsory, people would just type a few words to fill that requirement and move on.
I think the most effective way to improve this is by suggesting alt text people can use in a friendly, nonjudgmental way, using the "Alt4You" hashtag.
Yes, some people see this as passive-aggressive judgement anyway, but scolding people just doesn't help. And you never know if someone's own disability makes adding alt text harder.
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Stefan Bohacekreplied to Stefan Bohacek last edited by [email protected]
@albertcardona @elduvelle @neuralreckoning Making alt text required might make more sense in the future, once the culture changes and people better understand why it's important.
But even then you might have to account for folks with disabilities, and scenarios like people documenting protests, police brutality, etc.
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@stefan @albertcardona @elduvelle @neuralreckoning A good UI makes doing the right thing easier. Sometimes it can just be something as simple as someone forgot. Ones headspace is usually not about describing images.
Also wording helps. “Please add a simple description of the image to help people with etc” as part of the app is nicer than an angry message. Don’t assume people are bad out of the gate.
It would be really neat to have a way to specifically add a descriptive text to someone else’s image, like a comment. And with an option for the author to approve. As you say we can’t combat the need of one group by attacking the need of another. We should embrace them both.
Also as maybe just a me thing I’d like to know if my descriptive texts are read. Not in a spy way, but in a “do I make a difference?” Positive reinforcement is a thing after all. So if anyone reads them, and you see someone posting really good ones or always doing it while posting a lot. A little note about it I think would lift someone else’s spirit.
Just some thoughts. I provide them 99% of the time myself, but I don’t know if anyone reads them.
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"A good UI makes doing the right thing easier."
Oh absolutely! I touched on this in https://stefanbohacek.com/blog/impact-of-fediverse-clients-on-the-use-of-alt-text/, see the note about Phanpy, the alternative Mastodon web client.
"do I make a difference?"
You do!
- https://mastodon.social/@alttexthalloffame/113345759839443680
- https://mastodon.social/@alttexthalloffame/113340647431759614
- https://alttexthalloffame.org -
@stefan @albertcardona @elduvelle @neuralreckoning 14.3% is a *lot* lower than what I’d expect. That’s disappointing.
I think calling it alt text was a mistake. Something like descriptive text might be better. I for once would think A/B testing would be worth it here.
I also wonder if other instances have distinctly different results. More than 60% of my feed has descriptive text after all. Probably well north of 90%. Actually running the numbers was a great idea btw!
Also, we are talking about making people’s lives a little better with for the vast majority of us a very minor effort (there are exceptions). Of all the things to be upset about and refusing to do:(
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@yon @albertcardona @elduvelle @neuralreckoning Yeah, I get disappointed too.
But still best to try to find positive ways to counter this. This has been my goal with @alttexthalloffame, with some good results!
Alt Text Hall of Fame (@[email protected])
Has following this account and/or visiting https://alttexthalloffame.org given you a better understanding of the importance of alt text? [ ] Yes! [ ] A little bit [ ] Not really [ ] Not interested
Mastodon (mastodon.social)
