Context: we often have users who use Latin-lookalikes in their name—e.g., Cyrillic/Greek or maths symbols—emoji, etc. These seem like they'd be barriers.

Our nickname policy is broadly accessibility to all members:

1) Obviously, it has to conform with other rules about not being hateful, etc.

2) Can be found via @mention menu with any English keyboard layout;

2) Legible and identifiable as a personal identity to English speakers (so no 漢字 hànzì-only nicknames for example);

etc.

Questions about #accessibility for the visually impaired:

I'm a mod on Discord and regularly have to evaluate nicknames.

1) What kind of nickname trends are barriers or annoyances (if any) to y'all or people you know? In the interest of listening to marginalised folk, please only respond with first- and secondhand accounts, not best guesses.

2) What screen-readers could I use for this, representative of what people use w/Discord? Budget is ≈zero (alas), and Win/Linux/Android available.

(3/?) I seem to have forgotten about updating this thread. Let's keep going—I guess the next logical thing would be the third silhouette!

If you know what this is from, this should be instantly recognisable.

#DesertBus #DB2025 #Craftalong

No airdate to announce at this time, but we thought you’d like to know that THIS is happening over the next few days.
#ThePanalysts

Reference credit: Natasha Lois Photography https://www.pexels.com/@natasha-lois-756212/

Because I absolutely cannot freehand draw a convincing cello or violin in perspective.

"Don't let your instrument get in the way of your music." — David Darling (1941–2021), founder of Music for People, an American #cellist who taught #music and #musicImprov as a fundamentally human mode of expression, accessible to all regardless of musical training or experience.

Medium: India ink, gouache on cotton paper. Foundational, Italic scripts.

Additional credits: see reply.

#musicForPeople #classicalMusic #quote #cello #violoncello #violoncelle #calligraphy #art #artistsonmastodon

(A little late for this #wss366 prompt, but anyway—sometimes that's how life goes!)

I left my headphones on, this time. ’Try turning it off and on again?’

His finger clicked on his desk. I kept staring at my screen, yet I was unable to keep the far end of my mental information stack from falling out of my head.

‘I didn’t have this problem yesterday!’

‘It’s always annoying when stuff breaks suddenly,’ I said. I felt an eerie air, as if someone had stopped computing to stick their head around their monitor.

‘Yes?’

‘Weren’t you ever going to help me?’

‘... You didn’t #ask.’

’Oh, for fuck’s sake.’ His voice travelled around his monitors and across the office, muffled ever so slightly on its journey.

I slipped a headphone off one ear, trying to hold onto a thin thread of focus. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘This software isn’t working.’

‘Ah. That sucks.’ I slipped my headphones back on. A distraction, but at least he hadn’t asked me to switch contexts.

‘Goddamn it. I can’t figure this out.’

(1/2)

#wss366 #microfiction #neurodivergent #talesfromtechsupport #ask

@aehdeschaine also: Arches had entirely fallen off my radar for calligraphy papers! Thsbka for reminding me. We can find their watercolour papers everywhere locally but I forgot about their text wove.

@aehdeschaine Ah, thank you!

FWIW, John Neal *is* my "online" for Brause stuff. And most calligraphy supplies. XD I haven't been able to find Brause nibs locally or online from Canada-based stores in 10+ years, I mostly just find Speedball for that category. The US was always cheaper to ship from then Europe.

Thanks for the offer! And I agree—interpersonal networks (and mutual support thereof) aren't ever unimportant, but it feels like they're increasing in importance again in a lot of ways.

@aehdeschaine There's a bunch of European materials I usually get from John Neal in the US, because there aren't very many good shops for more historical styles of calligraphy practise in Canada AFAIK.

I can *never* find Brause nibs on sale in Canada, and paper choices are limited to Strathmore, Canson, some local papermakers and watercolour papers. Never John Neal's variety, though I do like our local handmade papers.

Probably a no-go now. Exchange rate was already hard w/o tariffs.

@WizardOfDocs @azninsect Unfortunately not.

@azninsect As much as social media uniquely allows specific "challenges" to spread way farther and faster, this feels a lot like my (our?) generation's doing stupid things in or on a moving car (sunroof, etc.), or doing stupid challenges in abandoned buildings, or doing stupid pranks involving public signs or property at local businesses...

It's _really_ unfortunate it has such significant risks of fire and damage far beyond the device itself.

@AzulCrescent Conveniently, the other way around is just a divide-by-three-ish for estimation purposes. 60ft is 20m or so, which is quick enough. (I'm in Canada, I have a better sense for metres for distance but lots of stuff around here is from the US, specified in feet).

Unfortunately, I tend to have to convert inches or mils to mm at work more often. 2.54 (or 2.5 approximation) is less nice to do in my head... I can always do x10/2/2, that's a lot more steps than /3!

Some of the messaging around alt text is about how easy it is. Like there was a button marked “accessible” and some people simply failed to push it out of laziness, or spite.

I put alt text on every picture I post, not because it’s easy, but because I believe it helps. It isn’t a lot of work, but it is work.

Sometimes we get overzealous, and imply (or say) that making the Fediverse accessible is basically free. That therefore something is wrong with you if you don’t do it. Those messages never sat quite right with me. I’m proud of how much alt text there is around here, but we could do much, much better; we won’t get there by gaslighting people about what it will take to do so.

I encourage you to put alt text on your pictures. I won’t tell you that it’s not work. What I will say is that making the Fediverse more accessible and inclusive is a good use of your time and energy.

Let’s get to work.

#AltText #accessibility #Fediverse

@gsuberland Wonderful bit of data!