"Alernate Text" should be "Alt" or "Alternative"

[alecrust]

The media uploader provides an "Alternate Text" field which populates the image's "alt" attribute.

The word "alternate" means "to occur in turn repeatedly". This is incorrect usage of this word.

"alt" is abbreviated from the word "alternative", so this field's label should read "Alt Text" or "Alternative Text".

Source: ​http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20-TECHS/H37

[SergeyBiryukov]

We already have "Alt Text" in the help text under the input, so I guess it should be "Alternative Text".

[alecrust]

Agreed, as long as "Alternative Text" fits in the space nicely :)

Shall I create a fork on GitHub or just leave this case to be resolved by one of you guys?

[scribu]

The WordPress repo on github is just a mirror. Development happens here, so you can upload a patch, if you want.

[RyanJKoehler]

changed "Alternate" to "Alternative"

[ryan]

It also means "A person who acts as a deputy or substitute" which is obviously the meaning intended when the specs used to say "alternate text" everywhere.

​http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/struct/objects.html#h-13.8

These days the specs like to say "text alternatives". Of course this is UI, not a spec, so we don't have to use the same language. So, yeah.

[alecrust]

I believe that usage of the word "alternate" is American-English specific and therefore not appropriately universal. Perhaps that's why they no longer use it that way in the spec.

[lessbloat]

Looks good. Ready for commit.

[nacin]

In [21917]:

It is 'Alternative Text', not 'Alternate Text'. props alecrust, RyanJKoehler. fixes #21176.

[SergeyBiryukov]

Missed the string in wp-langs-en.js.

​http://wordpress.org/support/topic/inconsistent-alt-text-field-label

[mikehansenme]

My bad just realized there was an updated patch... ignore mine.

[nacin]

Ah yes, we fixed this in wp-langs.php for non-English, but not wp-langs-en.js.

[nacin]

In 22996:

Alternative Text, not Alternate Text. props SergeyBiryukov. fixes #21176.