A favor for us deaf/hard of hearing people when you post videos

[tblue37]

On The Huffington Post, whenever a video is posted, the person who posts it also includes an explanation of what the main point of the video is, as well as a transcript of a key part or two. I am always almost overwhelmed with gratitude, because like so many Americans, I am severely hearing-impaired. I have difficulty understanding words even with my hearing aids turned up to their highest volume.

I used closed captioning on TV, but most videos that people post have no captions. It is so frustrating to be left out of the conversation, as it were:
http://www.deafnotdumb.homestead.com/leftout.html
Here on DU, however, it is the most common thing in the world for people to post videos with virtually no comment—just a headline and the video. The people who post Cenk’s videos are really the absolute worst about offering no explanation, not a word, about what is in the video. It has totally turned me off on Cenk, though I know it isn't his fault that his fans do this.

I think many of you would be surprised at how many people—and how many here on DU—are hearing-impaired enough hat they are unable to understand the words in an online video.

Please, please, please--if you are posting a video, consider offering a brief summary of the point of the video, so all of us can understand what is going on.
http://www.deafnotdumb.homestead.com/index.html

Oh, and can I get some recs so this can get seen by more people. I really would love to get the word out on behalf of us deafies and near-deafies.

Kthx.

[Eric J in MN]

1. For anyone, it's useful to have a summary to decide whether to play the video or not (NT)

NT

[tblue37]

2. That's true--I hadn't thought of it. I was just thinking of myself and

people like me--while complaining of hearies who are only thinking of themselves and people like them. My bad.

[Eric J in MN]

3. No bad. I was just adding an additional reason why you're right. NT

NT

[Canuckistanian]

20. "hearies"? n/t

[Chulanowa]

26. Wow. I've never had a slur thrown at me for my ability to hear

Normally I'd have a "fuck you" readied, but truth be told, I'm having a bit of a surreal moment.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

36. That's the deaf community

We call ourselves "deafies" and the hearing people "hearies". I don't normally think of it as a slur. Nowadays I've been so ingrained in the hearing community that I'm between worlds at the moment.

[Chulanowa]

39. Any descriptive term, properly placed, can become a slur

It's all in the usage. I've definitely been called worse, in worse ways. But like I said, it was just a little surreal.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

47. I remember when I first called myself a "deafie"

My hearing sister actually said, "That could be a slur." I've moved away from that language but talking about the deaf community in general I tend to return to the deafie/hearie slang.

Like I said I'm between both world (hang out with more hearing people than deaf people) and tend not to use general terms like that. I hope no offence was caused! I'm not a Gallaudet-type deaf person (grew up mainstreamed) but I am friends with people who went to Gallaudet and it surprises me how different our viewpoints are!

[Bryn]

74. Falling on deaf ears

Several years ago I brought up on AOL via general hearies' discussion board about how distasteful I thought "fall on deaf ears", or "falling on deaf ears", or "fell on deaf ears" was and got attacked! So my whine fell on "deaf ears". x(

edit: forgot to add that I am totally deaf, went to Gally, and live in between worlds at the moment.

[Muttocracy]

90. thanks for pointing that one out

I don't use that phrase often, but I certainly have, without stopping to think what it means!

[shadowknows69]

106. You and me both. It is insensitive. I will try to curb that in the future.

[FunkyLeprechaun]

97. I can totally understand the "falling on deaf ears" thing

But I generally accept it as a terminology for someone who doesn't listen, not necessarily disparaging a deaf person.

Ah well, I hope that the internet is a friendlier place towards us deafies.

I am totally deaf too (wear two CIs), went to BU but have lots of deaf friends who went to Gally! You might know a couple! :-D

[noamnety]

65. I'm hearing

and I've spent some time in the deaf community with friends. I don't read it as a slur at all. I suspect you are unfamiliar with Deaf culture. It's an area for you to explore when you get a chance.

[Chulanowa]

117. So I see!

However, I still maintain that in the context of this particular example, it bugs me. But no worries :) Thanks for the info

[noamnety]

118. The structure of the language is very different

(if they use ASL) and the culture tends to be a LOT more direct. That combination leads to all kinds of fun/confusion/horror for hearing people when the cultures intersect.

Some words like "hearies" don't translate that well, and it helps to remember that it IS a translation on some level from ASL even if some of the people using it have English as their first language (as opposed to ASL), and those aren't going to always sound right to our ears.

[recoveringrepublican]

43. It's not a slur, is "perfect hearing people" more to your liking? Most "perfect hearing"people

with in the D(d)eaf world refer to themselves in various ways, "hearies" being one of them.

[nichomachus]

49. Why do you consider that a "slur?"

[FailureToCommunicate]

70. No slur intended I bet. "TAB" (Temporarily Able Bodied) is term,btw, used

by many people who have a disability to describe others around them - particularly after an encounter with some one showing acute knuckleheadedness syndrome...
(Not that anyone here was)

[Kajsa]

103. It's not a slur,

it's an expression that is not a put down or derogatory name.

Recovering alcoholics/addicts refer to people without
addiction problems as "Normies" ( as in normal).

The same thing applies there, it's not a slur.

[greeneyedboy]

111. it's not a slur any more than "Yalies" is a slur on Yale students. n/t

[intheflow]

7. Not to mention DUers with dial-up and slower modems.

The digital divide is real, and DUers may not have easy access to systems that allow video to upload for a variety of reasons. I have internet at home, but if my only access was at my work, I'd rarely be able to see videos because many vids require flash player and/or java scripts and our IT Dept. doesn't think we need to have access to that kind of internet surfing. (In this case, maybe they're right. But still. If I didn't have cable at home, I'd never be able to watch Colbert or Daily Show clips, for example).

[sybylla]

56. I second that. Unless I know the content is worth is, I don't even bother

And if it's longer than 3 minutes, it could take far too long to bother with at all.

A summary and even a brief transcript would be immensely helpful.

[question everything]

9. As well when you post a link to another story

without a short summary of the story, so we can decide whether we want to click and read the whole story.

[SeattleGirl]

13. Not to mention, at least the title of a video when it's posted in a forum

outside the video forum.

Irks the fuck outta me when someone posts something, and the only thing they write is, "OMG, you gotta see this!"

Um, what if I don't want to?

Can't you give me at least the tiniest hint of what I might be viewing if I actually clicked on your OMG video?

As to the main topic, I would agree. I can hear just fine, but I know that has to be frustrating for people who can't hear, or who have a lot of hearing loss. A bit of a summary and/or transcript would be great.

[Muttocracy]

28. I agree with that! nt

[xxqqqzme]

31. I agree. If it is a long video

I likely will not watch it unless there is some clue what it is about or why it is important.

[Lucky Luciano]

46. Absolutely!

I am FAR more inclined to play a video (especially a longer one) if people give a quick synopsis - I don't have time to dick around all day on DU!

[LiberalFighter]

80. Most time I avoid videos because it takes longer to watch something than to read.

[demigoddess]

98. i agree, it is one reason I have not looked at DU at times. Too many videos

that are a waste of time without a summary.

[Duer 157099]

4. Totally agree. I don't usually have speakers plugged in

so it would be nice to know whether it's worth doing it.

k and r'ing

[tblue37]

8. Thanks. nt

[babylonsister]

5. Rec'd. I do try, if the youtube has an explanation.

Barring that, if I find it with an explanation, such as ThinkProgress, I try to add something.


I've read about this before, and I'm hearing you!

[LynneSin]

61. Not everyone can get You Tube either...

I can read DU at work however You Tube is blocked. This is not uncommon since You Tube can be a bit of a resource hog.

[panader0]

6. I rec this this not just for the hard of hearing

but also for those of us whose computers are hard of hearing. I am on a dial-up, out in the boonies, a video takes a half hour to watch, and even then, I can't listen. I too would appreciate a line or two to explain the video. Not just that, but so many posters don't say their post is a video in the OP.

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

41. and don't you just love those photo-bucket uploads?

dial-up and wait.

Great point though on the OP. I'm surprised nobody has brought up the hearing impaired before.

[Bryn]

72. I've brought it up for those of us in deaf/hearing impaired community

many, many times. :hi: Most DUers have been kind enough to provide links to transcripts or type in info. whenever I ask for it.

[Torn_Scorned_Ignored]

82. Thanks!

:hi:

[Patiod]

51. My laptop is fine with earbuds, but almost mute w/o them

so I can't listen to things unless I have the earbuds with me, which isn't always the case - is a particular video worth diggng them out? Would be nice to know.

Although with the TYT videos, I'm okay with the explanation: "Cenk riffing on Cheney" or "Cenk riffing on gay marriage" -- a lot of time, he's vastly entertaining, but "Cenk riffing on...." is about as close as you're going to get to capturing what he's doing on the video.

[smalll]

10. I'm with you. Not only for deaf people, but also --

1) There is still about a third of the country that is still on dial-up, as hard as that may be to believe for the arugula-eating twittering classes.

2) If I want to watch random videos on the god-almighty Youtube, I'll go to the god-almighty Youtube. If I'm at DU, I expect it to be something other than a link to Youtube.

[tblue37]

11. BTW, I should have mentioned it, but th links are to my Deaf/HoH website.

It's called I'm Listening as Hard as I Can!

The first link is to an article entitled "Left Out." The second is a link to the article index for the site.

Most of my articles are humorous takes on coping with hearing loss in a society where most people find us deafies annoying. Some, though, are serious takes on the same issue.

[Oldtimeralso]

14. Thank You, The Ability to Post A Small Explanation Should Be A Prerequisite To Posting. n/t

[jtrockville]

12. Posting explanations would be doing us all a favor!

I have only a limited amount of time to dedicate to gathering news, so I often skip topics that aren't explicit. I would appreciate an abstract/summary too.

Occasionally (rare occasion) I find myself with some extra time on my hands, and I post transcriptions of videos I thought were important.

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. K&R

[tblue37]

17. Thanks. nt

[shraby]

16. I too, am hard of hearing..need aids in both ears.

I have a set of ear phones plugged into the computer (I have a jack on the front of it) and I can hear the videos fine with them..sometimes I have to adjust the volume on the video. I can hear so much better with the ear phones than with my aids or the speakers on the computer.

[tblue37]

18. Thanks to all of you for recommending this thread.

With thisso many recommendations, I thhink I must have struck a nerve. Obviously I am not the only oneen who gets frustrated when people post videos with just a link, no explanation. And obviously it isn't just us deafies who have trouble.

(Hey, Cenk-video posters: --Are you hearing us?)

[shireen]

25. to be honest, i never thought about it till i read your OP.

obviously, i'm one of the many people who take my hearing for granted.

this past week, i lost my voice due to laryngitis. not a sound came out when i tried to speak.
i was very sick and had to call my doctor. i struggled to tell her who i was -- i could just as well been a crank call, i'm so glad she didn't hang up on me. I managed to whisper my name loudly and she told me to get a friend to call her back. A bit later, my friend called her back and told her the symptoms i had written on a piece of paper. After 3 days in the hospital for pneumonia, i've since been home recovering for over a week and my voice still has not returned. I can't make phone calls (for important calls, i've emailed a friend and he's made the calls for me), unable to talk to people at stores while running errands, and can't speak to friends and family. I'll be fine in another week or so, it's not a permanent condition. I've always taken my voice for granted and never realized how hard it was to function without it. Made me appreciate the value of sign language even more.

[ihavenobias]

109. I hear you.

Of course I like to post links to other videos in the message body, and in the past I've been criticized for having overly long message bodies, so it's a potential lose-lose. :)

Besides, I for one generally *try* to post descriptive titles most of the time. For example, the featured video on the homepage is titled "Joe Sestak Talks To Cenk About Running Against Specter & More". Ok, so the "more" is vague, but that's also partly to entice people to actually watch the video (And 90% of the video is exactly what the title says it is). It really cuts both ways, some people don't watch if they don't know, others DO click because they don't know and want to know more.

At any rate, I can try to post a one sentence summary in the message body if the title is vague, but I hope no one is expecting a detailed summary of each and every video (obviously a comment requesting such a thing is an option if the summary doesn't go far enough, etc.). And I would point out that often times Cenk's expressions (both in the way he says things and his physical gestures) add a LOT to some of the videos, and unfortunately that doesn't always translate well into bullet points of text.

But yes, I know it's not an option for some people based on various barriers, so again, I hear you.

PS---I love Thom Hartmann, but since you called out Cenk I'll quickly point out that Hartmann videos have no description either. I'm not saying anything, I'm just sayin'. ;)

[shireen]

19. can this be added to the FAQ or guidelines for posting videos? nt

[tblue37]

21. Oh, man--wouldn't THAT be great? nt

[shireen]

22. we should lobby the the ADMINS to do something. please email this thread to them.

i just emailed this thread to Skinner.

[greeneyedboy]

113. that would be PERFECT. brilliant idea. n/t

[bertman]

23. I'm recommending this thread because my wife has threatened to buy me one of those

cow-horn thingies that's on a stand that people can yell into.

[NYC_SKP]

24. Recommended for our deaf/hard of hearing friends and family members. nt

[lbrtbell]

27. I've recommended your thread

Though I'm not hearing-impaired, I do use closed-captions on TV a lot (esp. for documentaries, that have lots of unfamiliar new words). So I often see how much television still isn't captioned properly--or at all--for the hearing-impaired among us.

I was on dial-up until quite frequently, so I can relate to people with slower connections, too.

Thanks for reminding people of this issue. :)

[Norrin Radd]

29. kr

It wasn't until recently that I noticed that some vids on YouTube have closed captioning. TYT needs to get on the ball.

[DUlover2909]

33. I agree but TYT has a really tiny budget.

If more people would become members, like I did, they might be able to afford closed captioning. I really wish some liberal superstars would just come up off their big bucks and fund TYT and let them really do everything. Where are you Sean Penn, Jessica Alba, Barbara Streisand, Michael Moore and others I can't think of right away? Warren Buffet?

[Norrin Radd]

116. They could possibly run the audio through a voice recognition

word processor? That's all they'd need for a donation.

[EFerrari]

30. I'm so glad you posted this. Will do!

:kick:

[slay]

32. Kind of off topic - but here are some cool subtitle sites where you can d/l subs for shows, movies,

whatnot. I know it doesn't help with the vids being posted with no explaination - but helps alot if you d/l a show or have a movie or something and need subs.

http://www.addic7ed.com/

http://www.opensubtitles.org/en

http://subscene.com/

There are more - but these I have had some good results useing.

[Hawkeye-X]

34. Yo.

/obscure?

[elocs]

35. Too many thread titles are cryptic or uninformative and correct spelling is sometimes optional.

I would also like to know what a thread or a video is actually about before I click on it. If something is worth posting then why not do it right?

[FunkyLeprechaun]

37. I wholeheartedly agree

Not only that, I am also annoyed with captioned programmes such as NBC etc not bringing forward the captions onto their websites when they post the videos on them. Same goes for Comedy Central. I love Jon Stewart but I am so annoyed that Channel 4 here doesn't get the captioned version over here.

Same goes for catch up programmes over here such as BBC iPlayer. No subtitles at all.

It took a long time for us to get chips into televisions, hopefully it will all change soon!

[japple]

38. Thanks for raising our awareness, tblue. Excellent thread.

Recommended and Kicked

[tblue37]

87. I was hoping for 5 recs to reach the greatest page, so more

people would be aware of the difficulties we deaf people have. I certainly did not expect 137 recs. It makes me think that I have touched on something that bothers a lot of people, and that most who are bothered by it are not even deaf.

Thanks for all the recs to help me get the word out!

[TahitiNut]

40. I heartily agree. Basic respect and consideration for others shouldn't be arguable.

EVERYONE benefits when we're as INCLUSIVE as possible.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

42. It is nice for those who can hear, too

At work we have no audio card in the computer, because the sound would disturb clients. So I have to give many a video a miss because I don't know what it is about.

It is interesting to try and read lips, though--a real challenge that gives me greater appreciation for my deaf friends and relatives.

[Soylent Brice]

44. excellent idea!

also, it'll work out for me, and other folks like me, who don't get youtube at work. it's always hard to tell what i want to bookmark for later.

thank you for posting this.

K&R

[pleah]

45. K&R

[Pacifist Patriot]

48. K & R

[nichomachus]

50. Excellent suggestion

Actually, it's pretty good for us "hearies" too. Often, I don't click on a video because I'm rushed and I don't have time to watch an 8-minute video without knowing what's in it and why I'm watching. In that case, I just skip it. The same goes for the "You've got to see this" with a url and no explanation of what's at the other end.

In fact, the poster would be doing him/herself a favor. I might click on more links and more videos if I had any idea what they were going to be about. I usually don't follow blind links with no explanation.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

52. K & R from a Sign Language Interpreter! n/t

[Hugin]

53. Great idea! It would help me, too...

I don't have a hearing problem, but, often I'm on a computer that doesn't allow me to open the video file.

It would be fantastic if I had some idea what the gist of it is.

[Politicub]

54. A more accessible world benefits everyone - thanks for this suggestion

I don't really post that much video, but will take this to heart the next time that I do.

Events in my life as of late have opened my eyes to how inaccessible many facilities are to the mobility impaired. While not the same as hearing impaired, I've learned it's the little (and sometimes big) things we do for others make life more rewarding for all.

[orbitalman]

55. I have a hearing problem as well....

If there were at least a short synopsis of the video, even those who can hear may make the choice as to whether they want to sit thru the video on not.

[hlthe2b]

57. I support your comments totally. Posting without comment....

is irritating across the board, IMO and not just for those with hearing impairments. Others may have slower connections requiring them to be very selective in choosing to watch a video.

I truly wish Skinner et al would make it POLICY. No posting videos without including at least a few sentences summarizing and commenting on the content.

[Usrename]

58. k&r

If it's worth posting, then it should definitely be worth taking a little time to make an intoductory comment about it.

[Fendius]

59. Agreed K&R and apologies

Im sorry i never would have thought of this and appreciate your stepping up to make people aware...

[LynneSin]

60. Some of us are at work and can't view the videos - so comments are welcomed by us too

great post

[defendandprotect]

62. I'm all for this . . . especially since I can't afford the time to look at the videos . ..

reading is much faster -- video slows everything down --

So -- hopefully we'll both be given the option of TEXT --

:)

[Borchkins]

63. K&R

I'm HH and would appreciate a synopsis.
Thanks.
B

[Swamp Rat]

64. k&r

[tblue37]

88. Hey, Swampy! Welcome back!!! You've been missed. nt

[KamaAina]

100. Way'at Swampy!

:hi:

[ananda]

66. It's the only right thing to do .. and..

it's a helpful courtesy for everyone as well.

[ColesCountyDem]

67. Thank you! As a HOH person, I've wanted to say the same thing...

:hug::hi:

[noamnety]

68. Suggestion for the DU admins

Why not make the summary a required field when we start a thread in the video forum? We already have the URL and title as a required field, would it be hard modify the forum to include that as well?

[Bette Noir]

69. If I may make one more comment?

On most videos, my computer is barely audible. Sometimes, I try to listen, even if the clip is on the edge of audibulity. You know what? Bill Maher goes soft on his punch lines. I can hear the set up, I can hear the laughter, but I can't hear the part that the audience is laughing at. Very frustrating.

Besides, why would I want to take 9 minutes to watch something I could read in three? That's why God created reading!

[Bette Noir]

93. Make that "audibility." I missed the edit window.

[amyrose2712]

71. K&R.

[Bryn]

73. Hear Hear

oh, wait!

I am also a deafie :hi: checking in

I think many of you would be surprised at how many people—and how many here on DU—are hearing-impaired enough hat they are unable to understand the words in an online video.

K&R

[myrna minx]

75. Thank you for raising the issue that all of us can benefit from. n/t

[omega minimo]

77. what myrna mix said

:hi: :thumbsup:

[Uncle Joe]

76. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, tblue.:thumbsup:

[SalviaBlue]

78. If there is not some kind of explanation, I usually don't bother

looking at the video. So I too would appreciate a summary.

rec.

[no name no slogan]

79. This is an ongoing problem. The websites also need to do a better job

The websites should be posting videos with captions on them, or at the very least post transcripts of the audio.

I work in web development in the public sector, and we have very strict rules about how videos are posted. You must caption them, and you must provide a transcript of the audio. Basically, all information conveyed in the video must also be presented in an alternate format for those who are hearing impaired. Additionally, we have to provide alternative formats to the video for those who are visually impaired (yes, there are visually impaired people who use the web, too).

Thanks for starting this thread. More people need to be aware that the web is for EVERYBODY, not just those who can see and hear "normally".

[alfredo]

81. Kick

[Fire1]

83. K'd and Rec'd.

[Ohio Joe]

84. K&R - nt

[uppityperson]

85. k&r from another hoh person

[Jackpine Radical]

86. THANKS FOR POSTING THIS.

I CAN'T HEAR WORTH SHIT EITHER.

[Jazzgirl]

89. Thanks for echoing my feelings tblue37.

I am hearing impaired too and sometimes, no matter how high I turn the volume, it is difficult to understand the words people are saying. Sometimes there is a hum in the video that makes it difficult to hear. A summary of the video would definitely help.

[KamaAina]

91. Some videos that people showed at a *disabilities conference* weren't captioned!

:grr: :banghead: :dunce:

edit: I just got back from two such conferences this week, back to back, and each one had at least one uncaptioned video! :wtf:

[Bette Noir]

94. But at the Capitol Steps show I saw last week, there was a

sign language interpreter. She nearly sprained her arms, trying to interpret both the literal meanings and the double entendres of the section called "Lirty Dies," ("Dirty Lies," done all in spoonerisms)but she got a standing ovation for her effort.

[tomm2thumbs]

92. what's great is for all the Fox News videos, the summary just needs to be 'lots of stupid drivvle'

j/k

[mimitabby]

95. sounds like a good rule for DU!

[liberalhistorian]

96. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm also hearing-impaired and

use closed-captioning on tv, but it's usually not available on most videos and it's been unbelievably frustrating here to just have a video posted with no explanation or even abbreviated transcript. I don't think it's deliberate or done thoughtlessly or anything like that, I just think that most people don't really think about it since they don't have that problem and don't have to deal with it.

I can't wait for cc to make it to movies in theaters, though, it's unbelievably frustrating to not be able to understand more than half of a movie, if that.

[rvablue]

99. K&R. Thanks for opening up awareness on this. And as a hearing dial-up user, I thank you again!

[Jim Lane]

101. K&R for another group: the computer-impaired

My computer has lately developed some weird problem with videos (here, on YouTube, and on other sites). It plays the beginning of the video, anywhere from twenty seconds to about a minute, then stops. If I move the slider just right I can get it to start up again -- until it stops again.

A description would help me decide whether to go through this laborious process. It would also help me scan the responses more intelligently if I haven't viewed the video.

And, by the way, if anyone has a suggestion for fixing this computer problem, your thoughts are very welcome!

[Kaleko]

102. Thanks for raising awareness.

K & R.

[Seldona]

104. An excellent point.

Though I have to say many of the TYT videos I see posted, particularly by ihavenobias, contain quite a lot of information about the videos.

Anyway perhaps a change in the sticky thread in the video forum indicating a need for some written information to be included in the video post to support our hearing impaired community members? I would support that.

Also don't be shy about asking in the TYT threads. I catch most of them, and will be happy to help you out. PM if there is something of interest. I have experience captioning internet video/audio, so I can pump out a transcript pretty fast. And I don't type a word. ;)

[shadowknows69]

105. K+R absolutely.

[shadowknows69]

107. I used to party with some deaf students at RIT

And I just have to say, and I know it is a skill born of necessity, but the ability some of y'all have to read lips never ceases to amaze me. When I was quite young I made it a point to learn at the bare minimum the sign alphabet and given the time and resources I think I'd love to learn sign as completely as I could.

Edit to add: read the lips of drunk and tripping people no less. That has to be a chore.

[NewJeffCT]

108. Great point - I would also like to add

Some people who work in offices where youtube is blocked would also really appreciate the transcripts & summaries.

[Hawkeye-X]

110. This is a good thread. Please join us at the D&HH forum

at my signature :)

[greeneyedboy]

112. yes, please, summaries & captions much appreciated! n/t

[sallylou666]

114. Transcripts appreciated, too

I'm hard of hearing, too. I greatly appreciate transcripts. I prefer to read visual content whenever possible. If you can link to a transcript, I would be so grateful. Thanks for thinking of us hard of hearing folks. I have a hereditary condition that caused early hearing loss. Glad to know that I'm not alone! :bounce:

[JustJeking]

115. Thank you for bringing this up!

I too am deaf, and have had the same frustrations with online videos and their lack of closed captioning. Thank you tblue for calling this out...