**Author:** `mpt`
**Description:**
Steps to reproduce:
1. Get a screenreader to read you Wikipedia's [[Hamburg]].
(For reference, this bug uses <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Hamburg&oldid=5364113>.)
What you should hear:
"HAMBURG. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.) (For
other uses, see Hamburg (disambiguation).) Hamburg is
Germany's second largest city (after Berlin) and its
principal port. The official name 'Freie und Hansestadt
Hamburg' recalls its membership in the mediaeval
Hanseatic League and the fact that Hamburg is a city
state and one of Germany's sixteen 'Bundesländer' ..."
What you actually hear:
"HAMBURG. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.)
*For* *other* *uses*, *see* *Hamburg*
*(disambiguation)*. Map of Germany showing Hamburg Map
of Germany showing Hamburg Hamburg coat of arms Hamburg
coat of arms Enlarge HAMBURG [apostrophe-hamb-omega-rk]
is Germany's second largest city (after Berlin) and its
principal port. The official name *Freie* *und*
*Hansestadt* *Hamburg* recalls its membership in the
mediaeval Hanseatic League and the fact that Hamburg is
a city state and one of Germany's sixteen
*Bundesländer* ..."
Ugh. What's causing this? In order of appearance (not
necessarily order of importance):
1. '' # `''` is being interpreted as <em>. But Wikimedia projects
aren't like most other Web sites; most of our uses of
italics are for citations of works <cite>, phrases in
other languages <i lang="de">, taxonomical names <i
class="taxonomy">, or mathematical variables <var>.
Very, very few are for emphasized text. Since Wikimedia
project contributors are unlikely to care about the
distinction between <em>/<cite>/<var>/<dfn>/etc,
articles would sound more sensible if '' was
interpreted as the neutral <i>. (Possibly new syntax
for emphasis, citations, and variables could be created
for those thoughtful enough to use it.)
2. The caption for an image is rendered regardless of # `'''` is being interpreted as <strong>. But Wikimedia
whether I can see the image.projects aren't like most other Web sites; When I can't see images,most of our
captions lose their context and sound like gibberish.uses of bold are for defining instances <dfn>. Very,
Ideally,very few are for strong emphasis. Wikimedia should auto-generate an image thatSince Wikimedia
contains both the original image and the caption; thatproject contributors are unlikely to care about the
way if the image isn't present, the caption won't bedistinction between <dfn>/<strong>/<b class="vector">,
either. (It may seem counter-intuitive to *hide* textarticles would sound more sensible if ''' was
for accessibility reasons,interpreted as the neutral <b>. but that would produce the(Possibly new syntax
most sensible-soundfor defining end result.)
3. In the image syntaxinstances, the caption text is doing doublestrong emphasis and vector
duty as the image's alternate text. So thespaces could be created for those thoughtful enough to
out-of-context gibberish gets read not once,use it. but twice.
4. The auto-generated enlargement icon has alt="Enlarge".To increase the number of people using <dfn>
This is needlessly aggravating;correctly, if I can't view images,the default style sheet could style
a link to a larger vers<h1>-<h6> and <dfn> with the same non-black color.)
# The caption offor an image is completelyrendered regardless of
useless. So the icon should have alt="",whether I can see the image. to hide theWhen I can't see images,
link completely in text-only situations.
5. ''' is being interpreted as <strong>. But Wikimediacaptions lose their context and sound like gibberish.
projects aren't like most other Web sites;Ideally, most of ourWikimedia should auto-generate an image that
uses of bold are for defining instances <dfn>.contains both the original image and the caption; Very,that
very few are for strong emphasis.way if the image isn't present, Since Wikimediathe caption won't be
project contributors are unlikelyeither. (It may seem counter-intuitive to care about the*hide* text
distinction between <dfn>/<strong>/<b class="vector">,for accessibility reasons, but that would produce the
articles would sound more sensible if ''' wasmost sensible-sounding end result.)
# In the image syntax, the caption text is doing double
interpreted as the neutral <b>duty as the image's alternate text. (Possibly new syntaxSo the
for defining instances,out-of-context gibberish gets read not once, but twice.
strong emphasis and vector# The auto-generated enlargement icon has alt="Enlarge".
spaces could be created for those thoughtful enough toThis is needlessly aggravating; if I can't view images,
use it. To increase the numbera link to a larger version of people using <dfn>an image is completely
correctlyuseless. So the icon should have alt="", the default style sheet could styleto hide the
<h1>-<h6> and <dfn> with the same non-black color.)link completely in text-only situations.
6. # Pronunciations are ordinary text, instead of being
hidden from aural user agents. (A screenreader should
just be pronouncing the term correctly in the first
place, not pronouncing it incorrectly and then bumbling
its way through clumps of IPA symbols!) This isn't as
solvable as the other problems, but a good start would
be to create markup specially for pronunciations.
Wikimedia could interpret this markup as <span
class="pronunciation">, with Wikimedia's default style
sheets containing "`@media aural {.pronunciation
{display: none}}"`. (To remind people to use this
markup, the default style sheets could perhaps also
include {`.pronuncation {background-color: inherit;
color: brown}}` or similar.)
Wikimedia's accessibility is *much* better than that of many other Web sites, because articles use logical headings, and navigation links are left to the end of the page. But these syntax problems really let it down. I know they comprise more than one bug, but I'm filing this firstly to serve as a tracker bug, and secondly to show the cumulative effect of poor markup in a single article.
--------------------------
**Version**: unspecified
**Severity**: normal
**URL**: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/wiki.phtml?title=Hamburg&oldid=5364113