#if the headphones don't make me deaf my 30 then i don't want them

[thewardenofwinter]

my noise canceling headphones died brb going to become familiar with the horrors

[motsimages]

So, as someone who has translated subtitles for a living:

- Writing and translating subtitles are two different skills. Just conflating the two is absurd because the requirements are different for each one of them. Even writing subtitles and closed captioning in the same language are different things with different requirements,even if they look the same. (Closed captioning is describing sounds for deaf people, so it assumes the audience are deaf, therefore the text could also be written in a way that deaf people find easier to follow as many deaf people are not very literate and are also reading in a foreign language. All this requires: text being different from what was said).

- There is research done as to how fast most people can read and what information can be conveyed at that speed. Last time I wrote a post like this I added sources but I don't want to do it this time. Look it up yourselves if you are curious. Oral speech goes faster than reading text, for most people, so you cannot write every single word people say because they may not be able to read it.

- You are not making subtitles for those who have no struggle understanding or reading. Subtitles are done for people who can't hear, who don't know the language or who struggle with the original source audio for whatever the reason (you are in a plane, have no headphones and is better to watch a movie with no audio than to look out the window for three hours, it's noisy and busy and you're tired). In all these circumstances, people read slower and understand less words than the average person. I read very fast in books in my native language. I am way slower in English, subtitles in English help me follow along. I may notice some differences but most of the time, I can't.

- Subtitles are a complement to the audio and video information. They have to contain the main idea and the details are filled with the rest of the video. Subtitles do not exist in a vacuum. They have limited space (2 lines of X characters each) to not distract too much from the image. The image comes first.

- An all this, just to subtitles WITHOUT translation. Now, for subtitles in a different language:

- The original text may require a cultural adaptation to make sense for the reader. It will be different than the original text and it should be. The translation is not there for those who are already fluent in the language, it's there for those who do not speak the language and may have absolutely no reference of the culture that is portrayed. They may also have no interest in learning more about that culture or language, they just want to **access** a story.

- Some languages have longer words than others. Some are spoken faster than others. Some have very creative turns of phrases where others go straight to the point. English takes up about 20%-30% LESS space than Spanish (Spanish words are longer, also we tend to get very metaphorical at times so sentences are also longer). This means, more info can be fitted in English subtitles than in Spanish subtitles. Subtitles WILL be different because of the cultural adaptation but also because of the limitations of space that a screen has.

All this to say, subtitles are different from the audio and they should be. They are extremely hard to make because they are not made for you, person who can clearly understand the difference between audio and subtitle. They are made for people who cannot access the original audio in any way, and some information should reach them. And deciding what information reaches them and how it is conveyed is an art (the main idea first, the details *if they fit* later, in a way that can be easily followed as the same time an image moves).

one profession that does need better gatekeeping is people who write or translate subtitles. brother that is not what was said.

[amys-the-wise-1]

FOMO - or not to FOMO

Wise One speaking up, on accessibility, the inherent need to be First, and how CC can actually be of help

A Thread

TL;DR - Taking an extra 30 minutes of prep time will encourage many more people to tune in and grow the channel by turning on the CC tab or uploading your script to a Google Doc so we can read along or have something to hear.

OOC - Those who have been around long enough know that I am significantly hearing impaired. Without the bionics, my life is dim, auditory wise. (Add in a possible auditory processing issue and it's a double dose of problems hearing.)

So, for those in Chachin, I'm little d Deaf. This is why I rely on visual assistance, even if I do wear Cairhein constructed glasses. My glasses are an acceptable disability.

Yes, being anything other than 20/20 vision and needing corrective lenses is a disability. This is considered socially acceptable.

During this pandemic, it's been hell because I rely on lip-reading to assist me in understanding other people. Masks make it close to impossible for me to understand most people unless they A) enunciate and B) speak loudly. People who speak softly and low register bass voice are almost impossible for me to hear and constantly saying What? is rather rude (so I say, let me turn up my hearing aids so you don't have to yell for me to understand you)

My hearing loss is the upper and lower spectrums, and only have a small band in the middle.

Because of this, along with Content Creators keeping their voices moderate in volume for regular viewers/listeners, I can only hear with tools on my home browser AND with headphones on over my hearing aids. This means podcasts are mostly out.

I don't ask others to cater to my needs because when I have asked, it's been blown off or shrugged away. It's fine since I have no FOMO issues. I won't tune back in, simply as that. There's a ton of Fandom CC who I don't watch because they have their own niche they want - and a Wise One isn't it. Bloody wetlanders.

But the few that I do watch or listen to are because they either A) Turn on the auto-generated Closed Caption tab for their YT content or B) They speak loud enough that I don't have to blow my headphones out to hear them. (Those who have seen me comment or in live chat know. Y'all are terrific.)

If you can guess, that number is significantly limited on who I watch, subscribe to, and for two, financially contribute to. (Neither of these is in the fandom but other small time content creators.)

The kicker is this - my hearing loss didn't become noticeable until working in RL in an environment that was rife with noise pollution - which the company didn't bother to acknowledge, saying "No it doesn't" when they only checked during quiet times in the warehouse. This was less than 10 years ago. Hrmph. A near-constant 100dB noise level will damage even the best of hearing, long-term.

One accident can turn you from being able-bodied to... disabled. #FACT

So those content creators who are focused on being first with new information, hustling for new subscribers, getting eyes on their content that they don't bother to do anything beyond the bare minimum won't have me as a subscriber.

No skin off my teeth since I'm not the main demographic. But this is also why media, as a whole, becomes problematic - when the focus on being First over-rides being quality, being through, and being candid/honest/truthful/factual. Everyone wants to be first. So few care about being accurate, concise, and true.

FACT.

If your entire focus as a CC is that you have to be first, regardless of the rest, then that's on you, no one else. If you're like others that I do tune into who focus on all of the above, that will earn long-term subscribers who will help build the channel. First isn't always best. First usually loses the respect of the viewers when the other three aspects aren't adhered to.

So how can you work around this, where you adhere to the FACTS but also are inclusive with accessibility? Turning on the closed captioning tab for one. 60% accurate is better than zero for me. B) Signal boosting when there is closed captioning involved, so those of us who would like to watch, even if it's not live, can do so. C) if it's pre-recorded content, include a link to a Google Doc so we can at least read what you are reading off of for the viewers. (Thinking of one CC in particular who is reading their words on the screen while talking) D) Don't harass anyone who is trying their best to be inclusive, even if it's imperfect or falls short.

And to the gatekeepers who think they are "Protecting the Brand" you have? Hrmph. This sliver of ego is amusing.

Guess who is entrusted with that title? Harriet McDougal Rigney. It's only because of fair use and transformative works that you can even play in the sandbox and discuss it, much less anything beyond such.