Is using Current Web standards.
www.cops.com

Since that show is so old You would think there site would still be using Old Tables LOL I found it funny

Very nice!! But they aren't using "alt" tags so they have 19 HTML errors

But they aren't using "alt" tags

There is no such thing as an "alt" tag - "alt" is an ATTRIBUTE

I've never seen invalidation due to missing "alt-tag-attribute-thingies"(being a smartass) as being too big a deal since it won't ever break your layout. If I can't think of one, however, I usually put an empty alt="" for future possible use. It is very useful for search engine visibility, after all.

alt attributes are used for SEO mainly, as robots will search for this on your images

I think alt attributes are useful to visually impaired users - and users who turn off images.
I have images turned off on default in my email program. I would rather see a description of what the image is than a red "x".

Originally Posted by Gilligan

alt attributes are used for SEO mainly, as robots will search for this on your images

Nope. The alt attribute is there to provide alternate text for user agents that are not image capable.

absolutely nothing to do with SEO, other that the fact that crawlers are not image enabled.

Originally Posted by chrishirst

Nope. The alt attribute is there to provide alternate text for user agents that are not image capable.

absolutely nothing to do with SEO, other that the fact that crawlers are not image enabled.

It's useful in both cases
Maybe that's why it's a required attribute?

On topic:
Using FF3 rc1- can't read the items in the right side navigation. Cops is still fail.

Maybe that's why it's a required attribute?

Nope the W3C don't care about SEO.

SEs use it because they are image disabled.

This using ALT attributes smartly from the official google webmaster blog at least shows googles use of the alt attribute.

So if you mean that SEO involves the crawler being able to find all your content then it sure does help to have alt tags. But yeah, the main applications are 1) for blind users ('blind' meaning also computers) and 2) 'cos its just right and compliant so just do it!

And 3) Users of Lynx or other text browsers.

Thanks, i should have said 'blind user agents'

Alright, I should bat you around for the misuse of user agent there, but now I understand.