Feel Free To Express!

After seeing some turbulence in the blog sphere on the undue pressure vloggers have to caption/transcribe your vlogs, Jay Krieger discusses his philosophy on preserving our freedom to express our messages in their purest form, and then decide how handle the consequences of their delivery. Jay also discusses other captioning/transcribing approaches.

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This eTranslation is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the author and the translator. Under no circumstance can this transcript be used for commercial purposes.

Vlog site: http://seesay-jay.blogspot.com/2007/02/feel-free-to-express.html

Vlog author: Jay Krieger

Translated from American Sign Language by Benjamin Vess

ASL Copyright 2007, Jay Krieger.

*Disclaimer*
This transcript is a translation from American Sign Language into English. The contents below has not yet been review and/or approved by the the author. Any errors in translation and/or, but not limited to, interpretation is at the fault of the translator alone.

"Feel Free To Express!"
by Jay Krieger
Sunday, February 11, 2007
http://seesay-jay.blogspot.com/2007/02/feel-free-to-express.html


hello today i'm glad to be discussing a litte bit more in depth on the concept of anonymous in comparison to the oppression of the need of captioning/subtitling, transcript, etc. currently at debate in blogosphere that caused some fears, concerns, and senstivity, and got to the point where some people decided to drop out of vlogging because they're scared.

I have been thinking and it's really interesting because this is all still very new for all of us. I want to share with you my views and philosophy on the subject. My philosophy is "KISS:" Keep it Simple and Sweet. Not a "short and simple message," no. Keeping the process simple, that is.

Really, I have four main points to expand on here: The first one--the message inside your head,at its most purest form. The brainstorming, the thinking--whether it be in ASL or English, whatever language you choose is fine--the abstract thought. Then you proceed to present your message and walk away--leaving your message out there.

The message presented should be at its most purest form. Imagine a painter was painting a picture on a canvas, finishing it up. Does it have a statment underneath the finished work explaining as to why he painted the picture that way, moving the strokes a certain way? No, there isn't any; it is an artistic expression. The canvas on display is left for people to look at and think of their own interpretation whether it's the same as the artist or not, we don't know. One would have to talk to a painter and ask "what's that on the painting?" That belongs to a later point: the consequences.

But let's go back: the message should be at its purest form. At this point, don't worry about captioning/subtitling or transcripts. It's important to get the message out of your head and presented. Now that part is completed--we go on to the next step, the second step: what is the consequences of that message? The message has been presented and you've left--it's sitting out there, whether it be a blog, in writing or signed, in a vlog. Now once it's out there, whatyou could do--there are options, you could want a transcript...install captioning...or you may even want to speak (not me). Or maybe nothing. Leave the message alone, as is.

Also, you must be senstitive to your responsibility to the message you present, it should not be in libelous or slanderous nature. If the message is truly important to a wide audience and you feel responsible to add more message (ie transcripts, captioning) to better reach your readers/viewers. But, if you chose not to do that, that's okay, it is your decision. It's all up to you. Now that concludes the second step, the consequences of your message.

As we move on to the third point, people out there who watches/read the blog/vlog and see that it's important could volunteer to offer, "Can I write a transcript for you?" I think you should say, "Sure, you're welcome to do that." You get to do nothing, it's really easy just to put a link or an excerpt or anything. They wrote it, that's nice.

Now to the fourth and final point, you decide: no, you do not want their assistance in translating your vlog/blog into a transcript or add captioning. You don't want anything in addition to your vlog/blog. The people who offered you the service get your repsonse and decide to go ahead without your permission and create a transcript on their own blog. Well, it's the internet, it's free for anyone, anonymous or not. Anything goes.

But I think the people (translators) should give the blogger/vloggers the courtesy of giving credit where it is due and inform the original author of republication. It's not okay when someone translates and claim the translation as their original idea. But if they decide not to give credit where it is due, then I think it is easier accept their transcript.

Now, to sum up all four points, you should feel free to express anything you want, from thought in your mind into a message in whatever form that's most purest to you. That's the true value of the message. Don't worry about the other things that cloud your message.

I want to close up with an idea/suggestion, i have many ASL and interpreting classes out there, many of them volunteers, some of them still learning ASL, watching the vlogs/blogs. That group could use transcripting as part of their training. ASL teachers now could assign homework to the class telling them to go home and pick two or three vlogs/blogs that has no transcript. Go ahead and look on the internet, it's easy to find. One could look at deafread.com, look at many different ways to find a vlog/blog without a transcript and the students have to write a transcript then contact the author of the blog/vlog.

This way the student could talk to that person and see if the transcript gets accepted as part of their learning experience, processing and translating ASL--contacting a Deaf person, getting involved with the Deaf community.

Feel free, the internet is free!

"Feel Free To Express!"
by Jay Krieger
Sunday, February 11, 2007
http://seesay-jay.blogspot.com/2007/02/feel-free-to-express.html

*Disclaimer*
This transcript is a translation from American Sign Language into English. The contents below has not yet been review and/or approved by the the author. Any errors in translation and/or, but not limited to, interpretation is at the fault of the translator alone.

This eTranslation is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the author and the translator. Under no circumstance can this transcript be used for commercial purposes.

Vlog site: http://seesay-jay.blogspot.com/2007/02/feel-free-to-express.html

Vlog author: Jay Krieger

Translated from American Sign Language by Benjamin Vess

ASL Copyright 2007, Jay Krieger.

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