add alt-text

content/elsewhere/gifts-for-your-nerd/index.md

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ Shopping for a nerd this holiday season? A difficult proposition, to be
 sure. We are, after all, complicated creatures. Fortunately, Viget
 Extend is here to help. Here are some gifts your nerd is sure to love.
 
-{{<dither dce_iamakey.jpg "" "inline" />}} [**Lacie iamaKey Flash Drive**](https://www.amazon.com/LaCie-iamaKey-Flash-Drive-130870/dp/B001V7XPSA) **($30)**
+{{<dither dce_iamakey.jpg "" "inline">}}A silver metal key with a rectangular bow and round hole sits upright against a white backdrop.{{</dither>}} [**Lacie iamaKey Flash Drive**](https://www.amazon.com/LaCie-iamaKey-Flash-Drive-130870/dp/B001V7XPSA) **($30)**
 
 If your nerd goes to tech conferences with any regularity, your
 residence is already littered with these things. USB flash drives are a
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ dime a dozen, but this one's different: stylish and rugged, and since
 it's designed to be carried on a keychain, it'll always around when your
 nerd needs it.
 
-{{<dither dce_aeropress.jpg "" "inline" />}} [**AeroPress**](https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B000GXZ2GS) **($25)**
+{{<dither dce_aeropress.jpg "" "inline">}}Hand pressing an Aeropress over a clear mug as the coffee brews.{{</dither>}} [**AeroPress**](https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-and-Espresso-Maker/dp/B000GXZ2GS) **($25)**
 
 A simple device that makes a cup of espresso better than machines
 costing twenty times as much. Buy this one for your nerd and wake up to
@@ -26,24 +26,24 @@ gift that keeps on giving. If espresso gives your nerd the jitters, you
 can't go wrong with a [french
 press](https://www.amazon.com/Bodum-Chambord-4-Cup-Coffee-Press/dp/B00012D0R2/).
 
-{{<dither dce_charge_tee.jpg "" "inline" />}} [**SimpleBits Charge Tee**](http://shop.simplebits.com/product/charge-tee-tri-blend) **($22)**
+{{<dither dce_charge_tee.jpg "" "inline">}}Cozy heather tee showing a bold battery icon with a lightning bolt, perfect for keeping your charge on display.{{</dither>}} [**SimpleBits Charge Tee**](http://shop.simplebits.com/product/charge-tee-tri-blend) **($22)**
 
 Simple, vaguely Mac-ish graphic printed on an American Apparel Tri-Blend
 tee, no lie the greatest and best t-shirt ever created.
 
-{{<dither dce_hard_graft.jpg "" "inline" />}} [**Hard Graft iPhone Case**](http://shop.hardgraft.com/product/base-phone-case) **($60)**
+{{<dither dce_hard_graft.jpg "" "inline">}}Vario customs leather roll atop an aged brick, lit like a moody product still-life.{{</dither>}} [**Hard Graft iPhone Case**](http://shop.hardgraft.com/product/base-phone-case) **($60)**
 
 Your nerd probably already has a case for her iPhone, but it's made of
 rubber or plastic. Class it up with this handmade leather-and-wool case.
 Doubles as a slim wallet if your nerd is of the minimalist mindset, and
 here's a hint: we all are.
 
-{{<dither dce_ignore.jpg "" "inline" />}} [**Ignore Everybody**](https://www.amazon.com/Ignore-Everybody-Other-Keys-Creativity/dp/159184259X) **by Hugh MacLeod ($16)**
+{{<dither dce_ignore.jpg "" "inline">}}Hand holding a cartoon card that reads “Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity,” evoking a rebellious creative manifesto.{{</dither>}} [**Ignore Everybody**](https://www.amazon.com/Ignore-Everybody-Other-Keys-Creativity/dp/159184259X) **by Hugh MacLeod ($16)**
 
 Give your nerd the motivation to finish that web application he's been
 talking about for the last two years so you can retire.
 
-{{<dither dce_moleskine.jpg "" "inline" />}} [**Moleskine Notebook**](https://www.amazon.com/Moleskine-Squared-Notebook-Cover-Pocket/dp/8883707125) **($10)**
+{{<dither dce_moleskine.jpg "" "inline">}}A well-loved black Moleskine notebook resting on a wooden table, elastic strap tucked neatly around its cover.{{</dither>}} [**Moleskine Notebook**](https://www.amazon.com/Moleskine-Squared-Notebook-Cover-Pocket/dp/8883707125) **($10)**
 
 What nerd doesn't love a new notebook? Just make sure it's graph paper;
 unlined paper was not created for mathematical formulae and drawings of
@@ -52,18 +52,18 @@ Notes](http://fieldnotesbrand.com). As for pens, I highly, *highly*
 recommend the [Uni-ball
 Signo](http://www.jetpens.com/product_info.php/cPath/239_90/products_id/466).
 
-{{<dither dce_canon.jpg "" "inline" />}} [**Canon PowerShot S90**](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LITT42/) **($400)**
+{{<dither dce_canon.jpg "" "inline">}}Canon point-and-shoot camera with pop-up flash ready for action.{{</dither>}} [**Canon PowerShot S90**](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LITT42/) **($400)**
 
 Packs the low-light photographic abilities of your nerd's DSLR into a
 compact form factor that fits in his shirt pocket, right next to his
 slide rule.
 
-{{<dither dce_newegg.png "" "inline" />}} [**Newegg Gift Card**](https://secure.newegg.com/GiftCertificate/GiftCardStep1.aspx)
+{{<dither dce_newegg.png "" "inline">}}Stylized Newegg gift card design featuring layered egg shapes with orange swooshes.{{</dither>}} [**Newegg Gift Card**](https://secure.newegg.com/GiftCertificate/GiftCardStep1.aspx)
 
 If all else fails, a gift card from [Newegg](http://newegg.com) shows
 you know your nerd a little better than the usual from Amazon.
 
-{{<dither dce_moto_guzzi.jpg "" "inline" />}} [**Moto Guzzi V7 Classic**](http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/30/review-moto-guzzi-v7-classic-is-an-italian-beauty-you-can-live/) **($8500)**
+{{<dither dce_moto_guzzi.jpg "" "inline">}}Chrome-framed Moto Guzzi gleams against a hazy mountain sunset.{{</dither>}} [**Moto Guzzi V7 Classic**](http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/30/review-moto-guzzi-v7-classic-is-an-italian-beauty-you-can-live/) **($8500)**
 
 Actually, this one's probably just me.
 

content/elsewhere/html-sanitization-in-rails-that-actually-works/index.md

@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ page, not to mention what a `<div>` can do. Self-closing tags are okay.
 With these requirements in mind, we subclassed HTML::WhiteListSanitizer
 and fixed it up. Introducing, then:
 
-{{<dither jason_statham.jpg "" "inline" />}}
+{{<dither jason_statham.jpg "" "inline">}}Jason Statham stands in a sharp suit, glaring intently under the midday sun.{{</dither>}}
 
 [**HTML::StathamSanitizer**](https://gist.github.com/241114).
 User-generated markup, you're on notice: this sanitizer will take its

content/elsewhere/level-up-your-shell-game/index.md

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ favorites:
 -   [Invoking Remote Commands with
     SSH](#invoking-remote-commands-with-ssh)
 
-Ready to get your {{<dither neckbeard.png "" "inline" />}} on? Good. Let's go.
+Ready to get your {{<dither neckbeard.png "" "inline">}}Grinning caricature with messy hair, glasses, and a scruffy beard.{{</dither>}} on? Good. Let's go.
 
 ## Keyboard Shortcuts
 

content/elsewhere/making-an-email-powered-e-paper-picture-frame/index.md

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ something similar.
 
 <!--more-->
 
-{{<dither IMG_0120.jpeg />}}
+{{<dither IMG_0120.jpeg>}}A wood-and-glass stand displays a grayscale portrait, sitting beside amber glasses and books on a tidy desk.{{</dither>}}
 
 In short, it's a Raspberry Pi Zero connected to a roughly 5-by-7-inch
 e-paper screen, running some software I wrote in Go and living inside a
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ extracts the attachments from the email, crops them a couple of ways
 (one for display on a webpage, the other for display on the screen), and
 uploads the results into an S3 bucket.
 
-{{<dither Screen_Shot_2021-05-09_at_1_26_39_PM.png />}}
+{{<dither Screen_Shot_2021-05-09_at_1_26_39_PM.png>}}A web dashboard shows a green banner announcing “Photo image_50434049.JPG displayed!” above a grid of blurred photo thumbnails, each with a blue “Display” button beneath it in a browser window titled “192.168.4.61”.{{</dither>}}
 
 ## The Software
 
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ And that should be it. The photo gallery should be accessible at a local
 IP and the photo should update hourly (though not ON the hour as that's
 not how `cron.hourly` works for some reason).
 
-{{<dither IMG_0122.jpeg />}}
+{{<dither IMG_0122.jpeg>}}Wooden DIY stand cradling a small circuit board with a ribbon cable looped through.{{</dither>}}
 
 ## Building the Frame
 

content/elsewhere/on-confidence-and-real-time-strategy-games/index.md

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ developer. But before I do that, I want to talk about
 *[Z](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z_(video_game))*, a real-time
 strategy game from the mid-'90s.
 
-{{<dither 256px-Z_The_Bitmap_Brothers.PNG "" "inline" />}}
+{{<dither 256px-Z_The_Bitmap_Brothers.PNG "" "inline">}}Battle-hardened robot cowboy Cmdr. Zod sprays bullets amid explosions on the cover of “Z” by The Bitmap Brothers.{{</dither>}}
 
 In other popular RTSes of the time, like *Warcraft* and *Command and
 Conquer*, you collected `/(gold|Tiberium|Vespene gas)/` and used it to

content/elsewhere/simple-app-stats-with-statboard/index.md

@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Engine](http://edgeapi.rubyonrails.org/classes/Rails/Engine.html) to
 display some basic stats. Announcing, then,
 [StatBoard](https://github.com/vigetlabs/stat_board):
 
-{{<dither screenshot.png />}}
+{{<dither screenshot.png>}}Minimalist “StatBoard” dashboard in a browser, showing overall, monthly, and weekly counts for offices, players, users, games, and matches.{{</dither>}}
 
 Installation is a cinch: add the gem to your Gemfile, mount the app in
 `routes.rb`, and set the models to query (full instructions available on

content/elsewhere/simple-secure-file-transmission/index.md

@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ From here, I'd move the encrypted file to my Dropbox public folder and
 send Chris the generated link, as well as the output of `encrypt.sh`,
 over IM:
 
-{{<dither lSEsz5z.jpg "" "inline" />}}
+{{<dither lSEsz5z.jpg "" "inline">}}Instant message thread where David Eisinger shares a Dropbox link and an OpenSSL command, and Chris Jones replies “got it” one minute later in the muted IM client window.{{</dither>}}
 
 Once he acknowledges that he's received the file, I immediately delete
 it.
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ Now I need to send Chris the password. Here's what I **don't** do: send
 it to him over the same channel that I used to send the file itself.
 Instead, I pull out my phone and send it to him as a text message:
 
-{{<dither pQHZlkO.jpg "" "inline" />}}
+{{<dither pQHZlkO.jpg "" "inline">}}Text exchange showing one friend confidently promising, “I can get you a toe by 3 o’clock this afternoon,” and the other dryly replying, “With nail polish?”{{</dither>}}
 
 Now Chris has the file, instructions to decrypt it, and the passphrase,
 so he's good to go. An attacker, meanwhile, would need access to both

content/elsewhere/stackstash-taking-bookish-musings-to-the-next-level/index.md

@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ information. It's easy to look at a book and see all of the people who
 have mentioned it (and how they felt about it) or look at a person and
 see all of the books they've mentioned (and how they felt about them).
 
-{{<dither Group-9_2024-04-08-184917_kfjg.png "800x" />}}
+{{<dither Group-9_2024-04-08-184917_kfjg.png "800x">}}StackStash mobile screens showcase browsing features: a curated “next great read” feed, searchable library, detailed book spotlight, and Viget staff recommendations.{{</dither>}}
 
 ## Behind the Scenes
 
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ chance to try some new things:
 -   [Docker](https://www.docker.com/) for local development and
     deployment
 
-{{<dither CleanShot-2024-04-08-at-14.01.35.png "800x" />}}
+{{<dither CleanShot-2024-04-08-at-14.01.35.png "800x">}}Browser talks to a Caddy-powered Remix app inside Docker, which hits a Laravel service to reach the DB plus external APIs (Slack, OpenAI, OpenLibrary).{{</dither>}}
 
 ## What We Learned
 

content/elsewhere/using-microcosm-presenters-to-manage-complex-features/index.md

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ potentially malicious. The logic is roughly defined as follows:
 Here's a flowchart that might make things clearer (did for me, in any
 event):
 
-{{<dither URfAcl9.png />}}
+{{<dither URfAcl9.png>}}Hand-drawn state diagram showing a workflow progressing from “Start” through states like “Changed,” a “modified?” decision node, and either “Validated” or “Modified,” with arrows labeled “apply,” “revert,” “update,” and “preview” looping back to an “Unfocused” end state.{{</dither>}}
 
 This feature is too complex to handle with React component state, but
 too localized to store in application state (the main Microcosm

content/elsewhere/viget-devs-storm-chicago/index.md

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ draft: false
 canonical_url: https://www.viget.com/articles/viget-devs-storm-chicago/
 ---
 
-{{<dither 53100874_f605bd5f42_m.jpg "" "inline" />}}
+{{<dither 53100874_f605bd5f42_m.jpg "" "inline">}}Chicago Theatre’s neon marquee glowing over State Street at night.{{</dither>}}
 
 This past weekend, Ben and I traveled to Chicago to speak at [Windy
 City Rails](http://windycityrails.org/). It was a great conference;

content/elsewhere/whats-in-a-word-building-a-verbose-party-game/index.md

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ It's easier to play than explain, so mosey on over to
 to know more about how each of us fared going heads down on one project
 for 48 hours (and counting), read on.
 
-{{<dither 662shots_so-1.png />}}
+{{<dither 662shots_so-1.png>}}Three iPhones show different moments of the colorful word-game “verbose,” from starting a game to guessing and celebrating with playful pastel panels.{{</dither>}}
 
 ## [**Haley**](https://www.viget.com/about/team/hjohnson/) **\| Pointless Role: Design \| Day Job: PM**
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ automatically sets up HTTPS and proxies traffic to our Remix app:
 Our overall architecture (running with `docker compose`) looks like
 this:
 
-{{<dither verbose-arch.png />}}
+{{<dither verbose-arch.png>}}Flowchart showing a Caddy frontend feeding into Remix, which in turn drives a Rails backend that splits into Postgres and Redis services.{{</dither>}}
 
 ------------------------------------------------------------------------