Comments on: Not ready for prime time

By: Henry

Henry — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:43:58 +0000

The problem, I think, is that most of the media thinks of the deaf world as a tiny and economically insignificant fringe culture. It will probably take an act of Congress, as it did with broadcast video captioning, to entice the Internet to follow through.

We should probably be writing our congressmen and senators about this.

By: paula

paula — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 04:37:52 +0000

The Times uncaptioned vlog that irritates me the most is David Pogue’s. He does very clever videos on technology. If anyone should understand the issues related to captioning, he’d be the one. I have written to him MANY times about captioning his videos, but so far… nothing.

By: Henry

Henry — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:36:12 +0000

I don’t know. The Times and Salon never responded, and it’s Valentine’s Day, not a time to be suffering from feelings of rejection.

By the way, the Lady Friend insisted we do our income taxes today, Valentine’s Day. I cannot imagine a less appropriate day for that!

By: Jan Herman

Jan Herman — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:07:39 +0000

PS: In case The New York Times or Slate doesn’t print your letter, have a look at Rejected Letters to the Editor.

http://www.rejectedletterstotheeditor.com/

The site says:

“Have you written a ‘letter to the editor,’ an ‘op-ed,’ or submitted a piece of artwork (op-art, cartoon, etc.) which has been rejected by a newspaper or other publication, but which you believe would enhance the quality of public awareness, discussion, and activism? We are soliciting letters, op-eds and materials like these for a unique, always evolving new publication. We are looking for materials that transcend the systemic amnesia of the daily news, and will have ongoing relevance for our readers and potential authors. The letter, op-ed or artwork need not be current, but it should still be pertinent or of historical interest.”

By: Jan Herman

Jan Herman — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 22:35:22 +0000

Not holding your breath, eh? Is that the realist in you, Henry, or the cynic?

Someone I know keeps count of his letters to the Times editor that made it into print — 17, he tells me — and considers that one of his life’s accomplishments. Sad.

By: Henry

Henry — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:34:53 +0000

OK, Jan, I’ve sent letters to both the Times and Salon.com. We’ll see what happens now. I’m not holding my breath, though.

By: Jan Herman

Jan Herman — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 18:50:05 +0000

Henry — Por nada. I hope you DO try to get your point across to the folks who can do something about the problem, cuz the Internet has already gone heavily to video, as everyone knows. One fear I have, in fact, is that one day video will so completely overwhelm text on the Internet that it will take us straight back to TV land. Aaarrgghhhh.

By: Henry

Henry — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:36:47 +0000

Jan, that’s a hell of a good idea — but the newspapers won’t look at expanded blog entries for op-ed pieces. Been there. I could try it as a letter to the editor, though. Thanks for the idea.

By: Jan Herman

Jan Herman — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:34:56 +0000

You ought to send your blogpost to Salon, Slate and the Times. Or maybe better, send it the letters-to-the-editor at the Times. Come to think of it, you should probably turn it into an op-ed column. If the Time doesn’t take it, someone else would. No? And you’d be getting paid.

By: Henry

Henry — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:06:34 +0000

Anon, did somebody send you over from the Ron Paul campaign headquarters?

By: anon

anon — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 13:14:47 +0000

You handicapped folks are always wanting entitlements. Where will it end?