One other possibility...for the sighted user, consider a javascript
message that comes up on mouseover and leave the alt text as is for
everyone else.  Sighted browser users generally have an option to turn
"always expand alt text" off in the menus.  On IE 6.0, it is under Tools,
Internet Options, Advanced, Accessibility.

The D-link idea as long as it pops up in a relatively smaller window near
the graph may work nearly the same way though for all users.

Vikki Stefans, M.D., pediatric physiatrist (rehab doc for kids) at UAMS
and Arkansas Children's Hospital.  Working Mom of Sarah T. and Michael C.,
and wife of Henry Stefans, travel agent extraordinaire.  Every mom is a
working mom!- OK, dads too. Other address: [log in to unmask]

On Tue, 11 Feb 2003, Marcus Ormerod wrote:

> sorry to ask what might be an unsolvable question. I am creating a large
> website with many diagrams. The diagrams have complete text descriptions as
> alt tags. Visually the alt text appears only briefly on screen and I know
> that screen reading software will read the entire content, however, a few
> people who are involved in the development of the site have commented that
> visually they would like to be able to read the content before it
> disappears. Has anyone found a way to stop the visual aspect of alt text
> disappearing too quickly? I assume it is controlled by the browser software,
> but I cannot find a button in internet explorer that controls this feature.