What the alt text for my userpics should be:

• "avatar" or "user picture" --- when viewing someone's userpic page
  
• "[mooism]" --- in normal use, when my username is not already nearby
  
• "" --- in normal use, when my username *is* already nearby
  

The important thing about your userpic is not that it features some 19th century guy with a hat, a moustache, and a bomb. The important thing is that it represents you. So when people can't see your userpic, the important thing is not to describe your userpic, the important thing is to provide something else that represents you.

I'm arguing about the colour of the bike shed, sorry.