3 ms·

Bluesky Alt Text Stream

64 points by bobbiechen 1y ago

fennec-posix 1y ago
This is an interesting insight into what gets posted to Bsky in real-time. Quite like this, very nice!
ljsprague 1y ago
Perhaps filter out the empty messages?
- jaflo 1y ago
  The page accompanies a blog post about how many images have alt text on Bluesky so empty lines are included to give a feel for how many images do or don't have the descriptions: https://digitalseams.com/blog/image-descriptions-on-bluesky https://digitalseams.com/blog/image-descriptions-on-bluesky > This demo is part of Image descriptions on Bluesky: not bad, could be better - see the blog post for more details!
  - deleted 1y ago
    [deleted]
  - ljsprague 1y ago
    Surprised then that so many posts are just images.
- grimgrin 1y ago
  An optional filter, I can see it being interesting observing frequency of alt relative to no-alt. I do think it'd be nice if it didn't scroll the log automatically, IF the user has scrolled at all (looking at backlog). A few ways to go about that
pfraze 1y ago
The entire codebase is an html page with some javascript embedded. view-source:https://bobbiec.github.io/bluesky-alt-text.html https://bobbiec.github.io/bluesky-alt-text.html
- evklein 1y ago
  The way god intended
  - Waterluvian 1y ago
    I was about to complain that surely god couldn’t have intended… JavaScript… but then I looked in a mirror and realized he made it in my image.
ajithshan001 1y ago
The era of AI shouldn’t require users to enter alt text. AI should be able to provide one.
- meowface 1y ago
  I agree. But ~99% of Bluesky users deeply, deeply, deeply hate AI and anything associated with it, so don't expect any movement on that front for at least a few decades.
- Waterluvian 1y ago
  It feels like little needs to change. If you want to provide alt text to offer high quality specifics, awesome. If you leave it blank, those who need/want alt text should cause it to be generated on-demand. Either client side or by a server which then caches it for the next user. Same with closed captioning! And then the alt text Nazis can be quiet, too!
- phyzome 1y ago
  I've seen what happens when people use AI to fill in alt text and it's not pretty.
- makeitdouble 1y ago
  AI has no idea what you're trying to convey through a picture. Imagine you're shitposting a "this is fine" meme with some bad collage on it, asking for a LLM to properly convey your take is just a fool's errand.
  - CSSer 1y ago
    Moreover some images SHOULD NOT have alt text or at least shouldn't have their associated alt text displayed in all contexts. I put this in all caps because this is a pervasive and common myth. Granted, all images on Bluesky probably should have alt text because ostensibly an image as part of a post is probably content. However, in cases where an image is purely decorative and not meaningfully relevant to the page, a blind or low-vision person doesn't need to, nor do they want to, hear your weird interpretation of some abstract art. If you disagree, take it up with W3C. This isn't just my opinion. https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/ https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/
sprice 1y ago
Some fun stuff in here: > at://did:plc:4zd6mbhgvmjri5rmlsyeq6go/3lzpamhfmfc2d: a mostly naked vivi (she/her) domming a bound matchstick (he/him) in a neon-lit nightclub called PONYBOYS > at://did:plc:4zd6mbhgvmjri5rmlsyeq6go/3lzpamhfmfc2d: same pic but made absolutely clear that matchstick is into it and consenting :)
- McGlockenshire 1y ago
  bsky recently changed (proposed changing?) their policies on how adult stuff is presented. the wording they've chosen has a specific focus on explicit consent, resulting in having to do ... that.
  - pfraze 1y ago
    The specific policy is "We allow consensual adult sexual content, including fictional depictions, when appropriately labeled and subject to appropriate age restrictions. We do not allow sexual content involving non-consensual activity including synthetic, simulated, illustrated, or animated versions." I can understand why artists who enjoy the non-con kink dislike this policy, but I think people can also appreciate where this policy comes from. I can also understand why other NSFW artists are anxious that they need to indicate consent, but there is, unfortunately, some amount of judgment that the moderation team has to make on whether something is violative noncon.
    - jazzyjackson 1y ago
      I wonder if, besides imaginary depictions of non-consensual acts (and what of consensual non-consent, CNC? Do you have to add a frame to your comic where the characters discuss their limits and safe words?) -- maybe it's meant more to address deepfakes / porn involving depictions of people who didn't agree to be depicted that way. I think the law around usage of your image (and your voice) is in a very interesting place but could use clarification so all citizens can benefit; right now its hollywood actors and basketball players who get to explicitly control how images of them are used. Facebook did get in trouble once for putting photos of your friends into ads, "Your aunt bettie likes walmart!", they still can list that text since you did hit the like button, but there was some law that prevented them from using your face to imply endorsement.
egberts1 1y ago
So Bluesky is attempting to avoid the evolutionary path into ? What I think they’re grappling with are: * Edge cases & slippery slopes: Distinguishing “fictional consent,” “fantasy” vs “non-consensual content,” especially in illustrated or animated work, is hard. * Automation risk: Letting AI auto-fill alt text or auto-censor content might introduce errors, overreach, or misinterpretation. * Creator confidence: If policies or enforcement are too strict or unpredictable, content creators (especially in adult / kink / erotic art spaces) may leave or self-censor. * Accessibility mandate vs burden: Encouraging alt text is good, but requiring it for every image adds friction; enforcing it strictly might deter visual content. * Policy signaling: How Bluesky frames its sexual content rules sends a message about what kinds of expression are welcome there (and what kinds are policed). Sounds like avoiding a cross betwedb 4chan and DeviantArt?
extraduder_ire 1y ago
Is that the correct format for at:// URIs? I get an error when dropping them into pdsls/atptools, even though the IDs are all there. Cool website, regardless.
- bobbiechen 1y ago
  (creator here) Nope, you're right - this is a bastardized AT URI of at://<did>/<rkey> . It's missing the middle $type part, which is always `app.bsky.feed.post` in this site. (I think I did this to get more screen real estate or something, but I should probably explain it on the page) Thanks!

64 points by bobbiechen 1y ago

fennec-posix 1y ago

This is an interesting insight into what gets posted to Bsky in real-time. Quite like this, very nice!

ljsprague 1y ago

Perhaps filter out the empty messages?

jaflo 1y ago
The page accompanies a blog post about how many images have alt text on Bluesky so empty lines are included to give a feel for how many images do or don't have the descriptions: https://digitalseams.com/blog/image-descriptions-on-bluesky https://digitalseams.com/blog/image-descriptions-on-bluesky > This demo is part of Image descriptions on Bluesky: not bad, could be better - see the blog post for more details!
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- ljsprague 1y ago
  Surprised then that so many posts are just images.
grimgrin 1y ago
An optional filter, I can see it being interesting observing frequency of alt relative to no-alt. I do think it'd be nice if it didn't scroll the log automatically, IF the user has scrolled at all (looking at backlog). A few ways to go about that

pfraze 1y ago

The entire codebase is an html page with some javascript embedded. view-source:https://bobbiec.github.io/bluesky-alt-text.html https://bobbiec.github.io/bluesky-alt-text.html

evklein 1y ago
The way god intended
- Waterluvian 1y ago
  I was about to complain that surely god couldn’t have intended… JavaScript… but then I looked in a mirror and realized he made it in my image.

ajithshan001 1y ago

The era of AI shouldn’t require users to enter alt text. AI should be able to provide one.

meowface 1y ago
I agree. But ~99% of Bluesky users deeply, deeply, deeply hate AI and anything associated with it, so don't expect any movement on that front for at least a few decades.
Waterluvian 1y ago
It feels like little needs to change. If you want to provide alt text to offer high quality specifics, awesome. If you leave it blank, those who need/want alt text should cause it to be generated on-demand. Either client side or by a server which then caches it for the next user. Same with closed captioning! And then the alt text Nazis can be quiet, too!
phyzome 1y ago
I've seen what happens when people use AI to fill in alt text and it's not pretty.
makeitdouble 1y ago
AI has no idea what you're trying to convey through a picture. Imagine you're shitposting a "this is fine" meme with some bad collage on it, asking for a LLM to properly convey your take is just a fool's errand.
- CSSer 1y ago
  Moreover some images SHOULD NOT have alt text or at least shouldn't have their associated alt text displayed in all contexts. I put this in all caps because this is a pervasive and common myth. Granted, all images on Bluesky probably should have alt text because ostensibly an image as part of a post is probably content. However, in cases where an image is purely decorative and not meaningfully relevant to the page, a blind or low-vision person doesn't need to, nor do they want to, hear your weird interpretation of some abstract art. If you disagree, take it up with W3C. This isn't just my opinion. https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/ https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/decision-tree/

sprice 1y ago

Some fun stuff in here: > at://did:plc:4zd6mbhgvmjri5rmlsyeq6go/3lzpamhfmfc2d: a mostly naked vivi (she/her) domming a bound matchstick (he/him) in a neon-lit nightclub called PONYBOYS > at://did:plc:4zd6mbhgvmjri5rmlsyeq6go/3lzpamhfmfc2d: same pic but made absolutely clear that matchstick is into it and consenting :)

McGlockenshire 1y ago
bsky recently changed (proposed changing?) their policies on how adult stuff is presented. the wording they've chosen has a specific focus on explicit consent, resulting in having to do ... that.
- pfraze 1y ago
  The specific policy is "We allow consensual adult sexual content, including fictional depictions, when appropriately labeled and subject to appropriate age restrictions. We do not allow sexual content involving non-consensual activity including synthetic, simulated, illustrated, or animated versions." I can understand why artists who enjoy the non-con kink dislike this policy, but I think people can also appreciate where this policy comes from. I can also understand why other NSFW artists are anxious that they need to indicate consent, but there is, unfortunately, some amount of judgment that the moderation team has to make on whether something is violative noncon.
  - jazzyjackson 1y ago
    I wonder if, besides imaginary depictions of non-consensual acts (and what of consensual non-consent, CNC? Do you have to add a frame to your comic where the characters discuss their limits and safe words?) -- maybe it's meant more to address deepfakes / porn involving depictions of people who didn't agree to be depicted that way. I think the law around usage of your image (and your voice) is in a very interesting place but could use clarification so all citizens can benefit; right now its hollywood actors and basketball players who get to explicitly control how images of them are used. Facebook did get in trouble once for putting photos of your friends into ads, "Your aunt bettie likes walmart!", they still can list that text since you did hit the like button, but there was some law that prevented them from using your face to imply endorsement.

egberts1 1y ago

So Bluesky is attempting to avoid the evolutionary path into ? What I think they’re grappling with are: * Edge cases & slippery slopes: Distinguishing “fictional consent,” “fantasy” vs “non-consensual content,” especially in illustrated or animated work, is hard. * Automation risk: Letting AI auto-fill alt text or auto-censor content might introduce errors, overreach, or misinterpretation. * Creator confidence: If policies or enforcement are too strict or unpredictable, content creators (especially in adult / kink / erotic art spaces) may leave or self-censor. * Accessibility mandate vs burden: Encouraging alt text is good, but requiring it for every image adds friction; enforcing it strictly might deter visual content. * Policy signaling: How Bluesky frames its sexual content rules sends a message about what kinds of expression are welcome there (and what kinds are policed). Sounds like avoiding a cross betwedb 4chan and DeviantArt?

extraduder_ire 1y ago

Is that the correct format for at:// URIs? I get an error when dropping them into pdsls/atptools, even though the IDs are all there. Cool website, regardless.

bobbiechen 1y ago
(creator here) Nope, you're right - this is a bastardized AT URI of at://<did>/<rkey> . It's missing the middle $type part, which is always `app.bsky.feed.post` in this site. (I think I did this to get more screen real estate or something, but I should probably explain it on the page) Thanks!