Wikipedia talk:Manual of Style/Accessibility

WCAG Samurai

Hi, I've just noticed that the WCAG Samurai finally released in June a draft of its WCAG 1.0 errata. This errata is not published by the W3C but by a group of accessibility experts, but I think they are sound and a real improvement updating these guidelines to current web technologies. For example, I've just removed the requirement to use an HTML 'summary' attribute to data tables [1] as explained in the errata. It's true that actually nobody uses it (neither me), and it doesn't offer any real accessibility improvement (the same info can be written in the article's text, so it will be available to every reader).

The drafts of the second W3C accessibility guidelines, WCAG 2.0, have been very criticised, so from my point of view we should stick with WCAG 1.0 + Samurai errata. What do you think? Cheers —surueña 13:02, 15 December 2007 (UTC)

Wheelchair article

30-Jan-2008: One of the problems I have with the article "Wikipedia:Accessibility" is that it hit me like "Here's the wheelchair article but anyway". Perhaps a short paragraph should be added to explain the term "browser" versus "screen reader" and such: it could be linked to the lede section as one sentence linked to a fuller section later in the article. -Wikid77 (talk) 10:50, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

1001 Wikipedian Nights

30-Jan-2008: Although no one is buying time by making the article a "shaggy dog story" in the sense of 1001 Arabian Nights, the article seems to be a long, rambling laundry list of issues. The article needs a short, succinct intro section to summarize "Ten Things I Hate about You and Your Writing" to, at least, try to focus on ten guidelines a writer should know before losing interest in Wikipedia. (Actually, the Top 7 would be better, but the Top 10 is probably needed to accommodate the current rambling). -Wikid77 (talk) 10:50, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Thou hypocrite

30-Jan-2008: The article "Wikipedia:Accessibility" seems to violate so many aspects of accessibility and readability that it hit me like wiki-hypocrisy. If everything in Wikipedia weren't already iffy, I would have recommended pulling this "advice column" until after trying "Physician, heal thyself" to make the article more readable and usable. Within just a few sentences, the article starts talking about "TOC" with no concern to try showing "table of contents (TOC)" to introduce the acronym. Also, there's really no lede section summarizing the issues being presented. OMG, just think: with unknown acronyms and no lede section, just imagine how unreadable the remainder of the article could be. I won't generate a laundry list of complaints: people simply need to realize the article needs to be rewritten, then ask for reviewers. Guidelines need to be written to the highest standards, above just featured-article content. -Wikid77 (talk) 10:50, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Skeleton crews

30-Jan-2008: In most areas of Wikipedia, the content is being written and condensed by mere "skeleton crews" of volunteers: even the guidelines are revised by just a relative handful of people. For that reason, the content is often hollow, sparse, and marginal, as compared to writings by full-time staff writers. As a consequence, the Wikipedia policies rarely get the help and reviews that are needed. No one should feel blamed for the lowered content; it is a monumental task even if there were full-time pay. -Wikid77 (talk) 10:50, 30 January 2008 (UTC)

Merge with technical

30-Jan-2008: Should article "Wikipedia:Make technical articles accessible" be merged with article Wikipedia:Accessibility?

• Heck no. Overly technical articles might be only 2% (if that) of the total article base, hence 98% of writing does not need to worry about revising technical articles. I've tried simplifying dozens of those very complex articles (see: Discrete Fourier transform), and I recommend a spinoff guideline to address the ultra-intellectual issues of technical writing. Just try simplifying several of those "too technical" articles ("{{technical}}"), and it becomes clear that there are numerous high-tech issues to address, beyond where to place an infobox. -Wikid77 (talk) 10:50, 30 January 2008 (UTC)