Time to do away with Text Relay services?
By jjpuorro | April 11, 2010
I live in San Diego and I often pick up a copy of the “Reader” which is a free magazine offered in San Diego. The magazine covers local events, stories, has a lot of ads, and etc..
This story was in its recent issue: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2010/…
Summary of story: Scammers were using text relay to place large orders at a Thai restaurant, but gave the owner a credit card number to use..then they also wanted to charge fees above what the meal would cost (usually for transportation and spending $$$ for the large party coming into town) then have the restaurant owner send a money order to an, “agent who would take care of things”. I am not exactly sure how it works, but I assume that the credit card was stolen or something and the scammer wants cash sent to him..probably in Africa or something…
When I used to use text relay, I would frequently get hung up on. When I switched to video relay full time in maybe 2007…I have only got hung up 1-2 times since then. I like the speed and effectiveness of VRS…for example I can request a male interpreter to accompany my voice (male here)…I can request that the VI not announce that it is a relay call (helpful with calls to banks and etc..who are paranoid about security even if I have all the correct security question answers..duh!)…and I could even request another interpreter if I wasn’t satisfied with an interpreter. [Begin shameless plug in from an ex-ZVRS independent contractor] I use ZVRS and I love their service. [/End shameless plug]
Who uses text relay anymore? I don’t…I used to use it on my T-Mobile sidekick…but I hated it so much that I’d rather drive home to use VRS..or take my laptop out and find a wifi spot to make a VRS call. I hate how you cannot control the operator selection or give specific instructions to the operator…I also hate the time delay between each side of the conversation..seems to be 10-15 secs with text relay…with VRS it’s only 2-3 secs off at worst. Text relay is probably 90% used by scammers these days..or stupid kids having fun on the Internet (a rough uneducated estimate).
Who still uses a TDD? In 2010??? I am sure there are still a FEW deaf people…especially those who live in desolate areas without high speed Internet (yes, there are still some…I know from experience). However, nowadays..most businesses have a website…and some of them even have agents ready to chat on the website…(I know that Bank of America & At&T do…and I always chat with them online…however..there’s a limit to their service for some reason). Also, you can text your order to many restaurants these days…I do it all the time for lunch at work…or I even order food online…(Chili’s accepts online orders…so does Papa John’s pizza…am sure the same goes for Pizza Hut/Dominoes…etc..).
Other than what? 5,000 or so deaf Americans that still use text relay….is there still a NEED for text relay? IMO, if we got rid of text relay…there could be less money spent on it…I wonder how much the TRS fund spends on scammer originated text relay calls? Don’t deaf people have to register for text relay local numbers? How’s that coming along? Is the registration process fool proof? Do you have to show an audiogram proving your deafness?
Forcing everyone to switch to VRS would cut down on the scammers…or increase enrollment in ASL classes all over the world…win win.
Right?
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NFL Draft Analysis in ASL: The WR’s & TE’s
By jjpuorro | March 12, 2010
(Transcript below)
Part 1:
Part 2:
Rough transcript:
welcome to this week’s WR &TE analysis. Two things before I begin:
a.) I am not going to try hard to keep this under ten minutes. I won’t sign slow, but I won’t try to speed it up too much either.
b.) WR analysis is very tough. Not much agreement out there on the #3-#10 ranked WR’s. I am seeing good grades and bad grades for the same WR’s and their combine performances. I feel like nobody knows what they are talking about, but thinking about it I realize that the WR position must be the toughest to evaluate for incoming rookies. A lot of flops at WR and a lot of good late round WR’s.
Here goes:
1.) Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State, 6′2″, 220 lbs., 4.55
Top ranked WR in the 2010 draft by far. He was suspended for almost the entire 2009 season and still will be a top ten pick, that alone should tell you how good the guy is.Athletic, strong, long arms, huge hands, good balance, great body control, breaks tackles, blocks well, even returns punts, and has good lateral quickness to make defenders miss tackles. Weakness are him using poor judgment in lying to the NCAA about meeting with Deion Sanders at Sanders’ house, lacking elite top end speed, and sometimes struggles catching hard thrown balls. Also, is known to lose his focus at times when he gets emotional on the field. Before getting suspended he played 3 games and had 17 rec, 323 yds, 5TD’s (one PR TD).
2.) Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame, 5′10″. 194 lbs., 4.42
His father, Golden Tate, Sr., was also a WR in the NFL. Great leaping ability and hands allow him to win every jump ball. Great body control and balance. Can beat jams and gain separation while running through coverages. Breaks tackles for YAC. Been used as a RB and a wild cat QB as well. Lines up in the slot, or outside, and even returns kicks if needed. Weakness is that he is not very tall, does not have top acceleration and takes him a while to hit top speed. Bottom line: A high character player who will fight tooth and nail to make a play.
3.) Damian Williams, WR, USC, 6′0″, 190 lbs., 4.5
Known as a quick precise route runner who can get separation especially at the college level. Catches everything thrown his way. While he does not have elite top end speed, he has very good acceleration and can explode out of breaks in his routes. Uses a good stiff arm, spins well, and can break arm tackles. Does not box out for jump balls as well as some would like. Does not have elite lateral movements for generating yards after catches, but can cut in one direction and accelerate well. Very good punt returner in college.
4.) DeMaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech, 6′ 3″. 230 lbs., 4.38 (unofficial)
Fantastic size and strength. He’s nearly impossible to jam at the line of scrimmage because of his size. Put up numbers despite being in Georgia Tech’s triple option rushing offense. Good hands, willing to go over the middle, and uses his body to make catches. Weakness are in route running because of the simple routes he ran at Georgia Tech and does not have quick acceleration coming out of breaks. Does not explode well off the snap. Another issue is that he rarely faced double coverage because of the triple option offense he was in. He recently broke his foot and needs time to heal. So, he did not run at the combine and probably won’t before draft day. His 4.38 time is based on a tape his agent sent to all teams. With 40 times, you have to consider many factors such as location, track, weather, the type of timing used, and etcetera.
5.) Arrelious Benn, WR, Illinois, 6′2″, 220 lbs., 4.48
Great size and strength for a WR. Can beat jams by DB’s. Played in the slot most of the time at Illinois, but could be an outside WR in the NFL. Can adjust to badly thrown balls. Was very good as a freshman and a sophomore, then got hurt and missed his first two games in 2009 and played tentatively rest of the season. Did not block well, but might have been told to not block too much. Not as explosive as other WR’s in the draft and seemed to try to avoid contact in 2009. Did okay at the combine, ran a decent 40 time, did well on the bench press, and his vertical lap was in the top ten. Otherwise, he seemed to have trouble running routes and catching the ball at the combine.
6.) Brandon LaFell, WR, Louisiana State, 6′3″, 209 lbs., 4.59
4 year starter at LSU, #2 in receiving TD’s, #3 in receptions, and #5 in reception yards. Led the team in receiving his final three years including catching at least one ball in 41 games in a row. Tall and physical player who goes over the middle. Managed to put up those numbers despite many Quarterback changes while at LSU. His weakness is that he does not have blazing speed.
7.) Jacoby Ford, WR, Clemson, 5′ 9″, 181 lbs., 4.28
Before Clemson, played for Fork Union Military Academy for his first two years of high school, a school that produced 87 NFL draft picks and two Heisman trophy winners. His coach called him the “fastest player ever at Fork Union”. He reportedly ran a 4.126/40 in high school. He was the Florida state champion in the 100M and the 200M with times of 10.32 and 21.25 respectively. His strength is obviously speed…all speed. Probably one of the 4 fastest players in all of college football last year. He would be a great kick returner in the NFL. Good hands and great on reverses and screens. Pretty durable for a small guy. Not a great blocker due to size and his size is a problem for the NFL where everyone will be bigger and he could be an injury risk. Most likely a slot receiver in the NFL once he improves his route running to take advantage of his speed.
Other names: Taylor Price (OSU), Mardy Gilyard (CIN), Jordan Shipley (TX), Mike Williams (SYR), Dezmon Briscoe (KS), and Carlton Mitchell (South FL).
1.) Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma, 6′5″, 264 lbs., 4.76
Was rated as a first rounder in the 2009 draft, but chose to return for his Senior year at Oklahoma. Blew out his knee right before the season started. So, all of the information is from his junior season. Very explosive in the open field and can lower his shoulders and run over defenders. Catches everything, good hands, good body control, good size, and can box out defenders with his body and long wingspan. Always plays his best in the bigger games. Weakness are injury issues surrounding his knee but, it seemed to hold up at the combine. He played mostly in the slot at Oklahoma and will need to learn a traditional TE role, but the guy is an awesome athlete.
2.) Rob Gronkowski, TE, Arizona, 6′5″, 260 lbs., (Unknown 40 time)
Would have been the top pure TE in the 2009 NCAA season if he hadn’t had back surgery. Good size and great soft hands. Can pretty much catch any poorly thrown ball. Can beat linebackers in coverage and steamroll safeties. Hard worker and very likely to improve on his skills as a player. He is a good first level blocker, but needs to work on his second level blocking against faster players. His draft status will depend on his health. At the combine he only did bench presses.
3.) Jimmy Graham, TE, Miami (The “U”), 6′6″, 260, 4.56
While he is not the consensus #3 ranked TE, I decided to include him here because he’s one of the most fascinating players in the draft. Basically a basketball player who decided to try out as a TE in his senior year (In fact, he couldn’t play until his basketball eligibility expired). For obvious reasons, he reminds people of Antonio Gates who was a basketball player at Kent State as well. Tall, strong, amazing wing span, big hands, and an awesome vertical leap (rumored 39″). Can box out defenders and win jump balls. Does have speed after all and can stretch defenses. The only issue is that this guy is an one year starter who needs to learn the ins and outs of the TE position. Also, he runs stiff routes and his motion does not appear fluid at times. Also, he has difficulties blocking using his tall frame and needs to work on his leverage.
See you next week with offensive linemen!
-JJ
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2010 NFL Draft in ASL: RB Analysis
By jjpuorro | March 5, 2010
Here’s my RB Analysis. I tried real hard to get it under 10 minutes, but I failed!!! So, two parts again…(sigh)
Enjoy anyway!
Part 1:
Part 2:
Rough transcript:
1.) C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson, 5′10″, 195 lbs., 4.37 (4.28 unofficial)
Would have been a top pick at RB in 2009 as well. Chose to return for senior year. Had 1,200 yards and 12 rushing TD’s. Also, had 4 rec TD’s and 5 more TD’s on special teams (4KR’s and 1 PR). He has top line speed. While at the combine he ran a 4.37officially, some scouts reportedly had him under 4.3, which would put him on par with Chris Johnson of the Titans. Spiller can turn the corner quickly at the NFL level. Great outside runner and has awesome acceleration to top speed. He can hit his top speed in little to no time. Great route runner on passing plays and can catch the ball too. Can return kicks pretty good too. His weakness is running between the tackles. He still does it well, but he’s more of a lateral runner and does not run North/South too much. Spiller nursed a sore hammy and a toe injury last year and does not always play through injuries, something NFL coaches aren’t so hot about. Will still be the first RB off the board or the second RB at worst.
2.) Jonathan Dwyer, RB, Georgia Teach, 5′11″, 230 lbs., 4.5
Three-year starter at Georgia Tech who played in the triple option offense, which is an offense with three running backs (i.e. Wishbone). Had nearly 1,400 yards as a senior to go with 4 TD’s. As a junior, he had the same yardage and 12 TD’s on less carries. Probably had to do with defenses zeroing on him more. He’s a power rusher. He runs low to the ground with good balance. He’s durable and is a workhorse type of back. He breaks tackles and churns out yardage after contact by moving his legs. He’s quick and can accelerate quickly which means he can run it to the house if he gets loose. That is a good thing for a power back. His weakness is the lack of pass receptions and the fact that he was not asked to block much at Georgia Tech. He will have to block at the NFL level. He’s a “safe” pick, IMO. He will be a durable workhorse type of back for some lucky team.
3.) Jahvid Best, RB, California, 5′9″. 195 lbs., 4.35
Ran for nearly 1,600 yards and 15 TD’s last year as a sophomore. Former high school champion in the 100 meter. Ran it in 10.31 (by comparison Usain Bolt ran it in 9.58). He’s just fast and often compared to Chris Johnson. Has the ability to find a crack and score six. Can catch the ball as well. Two weaknesses: Pass blocking, can he do it at the NFL level? And durability, he has a history of multiple non-serious injuries. Could be 2nd or 3rd RB off the board. Believe he will go in the first round.
4.) Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State, 5′11″, 218 lbs., 4.45
Best in the country with 1,809 yards and had 19 TD’s as well. He runs hard with speed and power. Has the ability to accelerate between tackles to elude tacklers. Will lower shoulders and drive over defenders. Never ran for less than 100 yards in any game last year! Weaknesses: Had some injuries in the past and worked through them. Also, he played at Fresno State, which does not have a high level of competition, but he did well against Wisconsin, Illinois, and Boise State. Had 200+ yards against Boise State. He helped his draft stock at the combine by running a 4.45 and doing well in drills. Could be a first rounder, but definitely a second rounder.
5.) Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford, 6′0″, 237 lbs., 4.53
In 2009, he had 1,736 yards and 26 TD’s! Big hard running RB who surprisingly cuts well and was able to hit some home runs. Cannot be brought down by arm tackles, runs over corners and safeties. Can catch the ball as well. Unknown if he has the speed to turn the corner in the NFL and needs to work on his pass blocking. Had a really good combine, ran a 4.53, which is very fast for someone, his size.
6.) Anthony Dixon, RB, Mississippi State, 6′1″, 245 lbs., 4.55
One of the best RB’s to ever play at Mississippi State. A “North and South” runner. Leans into his runs and delivers punishing hits on defensive players. Pretty good size/speed ratio. Weakness is that he is not a “home run” threat and also he had a DUI in the summer of 2009, which has affected his status a bit.
7.) LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon, 6′1/2″, 245 lbs., 4.62
Was a two-year junior college player who transferred to Oregon. Had one good season with 1,002 yards and 17 TD’s. Got into trouble for throwing a punch against Boise State and missed the entire 2009 season. Played well at the Senior Bowl recently. He’s a strong runner, runs low to the ground, breaks tackles, and is very hard to bring down. Reads his blocks well and the red zone seems to be his specialty. Weaknesses have to do with character issues and the fact that he only played one season of division one ball. Unsure about the rest of his game, but looks like a solid short yardage back. probably going in the 3rd/4th rounds.
8.) Dexter McCluster, RB/WR/KR/PR, Ole Mississippi, 5′8″, 165 lbs., 4.62
Decided to include McCluster here because there will be a lot of WR’s next week and I may combine WR’s and TE’s next week. McCluster does not fit in one position, he is a playmaker. He is one of the only two guys ever to rank in the top 10 in the SEC for rushing yards, receiving yards, receptions, and all purpose yards. The other was Percy Harvin. He’s always a home run threat and a great asset to your team. He seemed to have great speed in college, but ran a poor 4.62 at the combine. Then again…that’s 40 time..not “football speed”. His weakness is his size and that teams won’t know what to do with him. I can still see him going in the 4th round despite his poor 40 time at the combine. Then again, his 20-yard shuttle time was the best for all RB’s at the combine.
9.) Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee, 6′1″, 225 lbs., 4.49
Had a great combine. Prior to the combine, he was ranked 9th/10th. His 40 time is very good for someone of his size. He also had good numbers in the high jump, broad jump, and the 20-yard shuttle. The knock against him is that he only finally started in his senior year. In his other four years, he never had more than 107 carries or 373 yards. This was because he torn his ACL in 2005, sprained his ankle in 2007, and had a stress fracture in his leg in 2008. However, this guy produced in the tough SEC last year rushing for 1,345 yards, 13 TD’s, and had 25 receptions for 302 yards as well.
10.) Ben Tate, RB, Auburn, 5′11″, 220 lbs., 4.43
1,326 yards and 10 TD’s in his senior year. Had a great 40 time at the combine. Known for having good size, bulk, toughness, and durability. Weakness: Average blocker, does not protect the ball as well as he should, and does not have good ability to read blocks and instincts.
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NFL Draft in ASL – The Quarterbacks
By jjpuorro | February 28, 2010
These videos should be on aslhub.com and might be moved there later on, but the sports world does not wait for things.
Two notes:
1.) I made a HUGE error stating that Sam Bradford would be a #15-#20 pick (was thinking of Colt McCoy). Ignore that one.
2.) A rough transcript is posted below the video.
Part 1:
Part 2:
2010 NFL Draft: Quarterbacks
1.) Sam Bradford, QB, Okalahoma, 6′4″, 233, 4.79
Strong and accurate arm. Can hit the out pattern in the NFL. Has zip on his passes as well as touch. Moves well in the pocket and senses pressure well. Seems to always rise to the occasion in crunch time. Would have been a top prospect in the 2009 draft, but returned for his junior season and injured the shoulder on his throwing arm early on against B.Y.U. Then came back for the Texas game and hurt his shoulder again and ended his season. Issue is that there isn’t much tape on him because of this, but looked great as a sophomore with 67.9%, 4,720 yards, 50 TD’s, 8 INT’s. Summary: Best QB in the draft, but not much game tape since 2008.
2.) Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame, 6′2″, 223, 4.76
Most improved player in college football last year. Was very raw in 2008 and became a good QB in 2009. Has all the measurements such as size, intelligence, athletic ability, and a strong arm. Accurate with a good deep ball. Weakness: Can be a bit erratic at times and did not have a stellar season until 2009. Also, did not win many games which could be blamed on the Notre Dame defense. Summary: A guy that was groomed under Weis and had one solid season. Not much to go on, but looks like the real deal. Summary: Has the measurables, played in a pro-style ball control offense, and not much tape on him.
3.) Colt McCoy, QB, Texas, 6′2″, 212, 4.68
Four year starter at Texas and won more games than any other QB in college football. Hard worker, studies opponents very well, tough, never quits, and inspires teammates. An all around good guy and very likeable. One of the fastest QB’s in this class. Weakness: Borderline NFL arm, his throws have an arc, and not much of a zip. Does not throw a good deep ball and starts to ignore mechanics when under pressure. Got knocked out in the National Championship game. My opinion, he seems like another Chad Pennington to me. Summary: Great leader, likeable guy, no deep ball, but will probably go high in the draft because of his intangibles.
4.) Tim Tebow, QB, Florida, 6′3″, 236, 4.81
Three year starter at Florida, two national titles, won every award imaginable, and is considered one of the greatest players in college football history. 67.8%, 2,895 yards, 21TD/5INT in 14 games last year. Minor durability concerns (one mild concussion). Good height and very good bulk. Terrific athlete who is ultra-competitive, intelligent, and has a strong work ethic. Like most other QB prospects, Tebow played in a college offense. Tebow operated out of the option spread mostly. There are questions as to how he will
play under center and how his footwork will look. Point of reference, Alex Smith of the Niners played for Urban Meyer at Utah and it seemed to take Smith a while to pick up the pro game. Right now the NFL is a passing league and you need a QB who can play in multiple passing schemes not just a spread offense. Another weakness of Tebow is his slow release it isn’t slow per se, but slow enough to raise concerns. You want a NFL QB who can get rid of the ball quickly and can take 3 step drops from udner center. It was also argued that Tebow did not have much time to work on his mechanics at Florida because of limited practice rules made by the NCAA. However, Tebow does have very good bulk and could withstand SOME hits in the NFL. As for my opinion of him as a NFL QB, I think he could be one if he works on his mechanics and finds a good “marriage” with a creative OC. This guy is probably one of the most interesting prospects ever in NFL draft history. He could go anywhere from the first round to perhaps even the 4th round. There’s some talk about the Jags taking him as he’s from Jacksonville originally. Maybe the Jags would be able to remove those tarps. Summary: Great physical specimen, athlete, but a NFL QB…who knows?
5.) Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati, 6′6″, 212, 4.89
Two year starter at Cincinnati, became starter in jr. year when the starter got injured. Stat line: 62.4% on 338 attempts, 2,520 yards, 28TD/9INT in 10 games last year. Got injured himself with a broken forearm and a dislocated wrist on his non-throwing arm. Durability is an issue with him and it does not help that he has a thin frame, only 212 lbs. while being 6′6″, by comparison Peyton Manning is 6′5″ and 230 lbs. Another negative is that he played in a spread offense in college and may have to adjust to taking snaps under center and work on his footwork. He does have adequate arm strength. He was also frustrated by Florida’s speed in the Sugar Bowl and everyone is fast in the NFL. Summary: Great size and frame, intelligent, fast reads, but very raw and will need development in the NFL.
6.) Dan LeFevor, QB, Central Michigan, 6′3″, 229, 4.75
63.8%, 3,031 yards, 26 TD’s, 10 INT’s, and 521 rushing yards with 7 rushing TD’s in his senior year. Great leadership, decision making, accurate, throws on the run well, and a great physical specimen. Weakness is anything beyond short and intermediate routes. Does not have a STRONG arm and “rainbows” his throws…which will be interceptions in the NFL. Again, another “spread QB” from a weak conference to boot. Summary: Good size, not a great deep thrower, and small conference.
7.) Ryan Perrilloux, Jacksonville State, 6′2″, 227, 4.71
We all remember him from L.S.U., it’s been 3 years now. More mature now and played under a coach who had, “zero tolerance” policies at Jacksonville State. Threw for 2,345 yards, 23 TD’s, 2 INT’s, and rushed for 443 yards and 8 TD’s in the 2009 season. Possibly the strongest arm in this QB class. Throws very well on the run. Considered more polished than Dennis Dixon (former OU QB and now a Steeler). Great deep ball. Makes good pre-snap reads and audibles. Only weaknesses seem to be his character, some mechanics, and seems to lock into receivers. Summary: Could be a great pick or a bad pick depending on who you ask.
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NFL Draft in ASL – Introduction
By jjpuorro | February 28, 2010
This is supposed to be on www.aslhub.com, but we are having website issues. So, I am putting it up here. When our website issues are worked out, these videos might be moved to aslhub.com.
A rough transcript is below:
Hi, my name is J.J.I am a guest host for the Nosebleed Seats’ weekly NFL show. As I said during the Superbowl, I am going to do several vlogs breaking down the NFL draft. Before I begin, I want to put up a few disclaimers:
a.) I am not a “Draftnik”. A “Draftnik” is someone who follows college players all year, does a lot of draft research, does mock drafts, and knows at least 100+ player names.
b.) Other than watching maybe 10-12 Notre Dame/Boston College/UCLA/USC/ASU games a year as well as 5-6 bowl games, I do not follow NCAA football AT ALL. My reasons mostly have to do with my intense dislike for the BCS system and the fact that my wife owns me on Saturdays during football season LOL. I do like FCS (a.k.a. Div. 1-AA) though.
c.) I never coached football, played VERY little football, and am mostly a FAN of NFL football.
Here’s how I will approach these vlogs and my goals for these vlogs:
Every year after the Superbowl, I begin my draft research in February right up to the NFL draft in April. In those 2-3 months, I at least read up on the top five prospects at each position. Then I evaluate what my team needs the most and start to zero on certain positions. For example, if the Pats need a CB, I will know the top 5 for all positions, but also know the top 25 CB’s. This is what I do every year.
This year, I thought I would make a vlog about the top 5 prospects at each position each time I did my research.
My goal is to make my audience knowledgeable about the players likely to be taken in rounds 1 and 2 of the NFL draft, no more than that. If you want to know more, the data is out there. I just find that knowing guys rated 3rd round and beyond is not worth it because you really do not know who is going to be picked after the 3rd and it’s impossible to predict without doing exhaustive work. My emphasis is on the GENERAL CONSENSUS, not my opinion. I will differentiate between the both if needed.
My general format will be to break up the vlogs by position and try to keep each vlog UNDER 5 minutes. Frankly, I have found that my attention span for a good vlog is about 3-5 minutes…any more than that…the vlog has lost me…:-)
I plan on starting with the QB position, then RB/FB, WR, TE, OT/OG/C, DE/DT, ILB/OLB/Hybrid, & FS/SS/CB
I hope that my audience will be able to jump from one position to another depending on their team’s needs.
I hope you will enjoy my vlogs as much as I will enjoy making them.
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Live Superbowl pre-game, half-time, and post-game in ASL!
By jjpuorro | February 6, 2010
Tomorrow, Matt and I are doing a live Superbowl show over at:
www.aslhub.com
Pay us a visit tomorrow during your Superbowl party!
The show will NOT be captioned. This is something that we will need to incorporate in the future somehow (limited resources). My apologies in advance.
ASLhub.com is an upstart website that we started out here in San Diego. We hope to see the site grow eventually.
Pay us a visit if you are tired of all the pre-game shows 
.
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Barry and Ridor
By jjpuorro | October 28, 2009
…………………………………
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Both are deaf, both names have two r’s in them, and I just want 300+ hits.
Made ya look! Heh heh!
Happy Halloween!
-JJ
Topics: Uncategorized | 46 Comments »
NFL Week 3….in ASL!
By jjpuorro | September 30, 2009
nbsp;http://www.deafvideo.tv/60513
We need a name…pls submit your ideas. Thanks!!!
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NFL Week 2 in ASL
By jjpuorro | September 25, 2009
We will eventually find a permanent home…and upload to DVTV…
It is a work in progress…but enjoy!!!
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Deaf NFL fans….
By jjpuorro | September 24, 2009
We’re back…
Bookmark this site for now…
Week 2 should be up before Sunday….we will get progressively better…
Enjoy: http://www.the117thshow.com/
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Deafhood vs. Deafless?
By jjpuorro | July 29, 2009
Deafless this…deafless that…deafhood this…deafhood that…
Can’t we all deafhooding/deaflessing move on to a new deafhooding/deaflessing subject?
I have had deaflessing/deafhooding enough of this deaflessing/deafhooding bullschmitt…
Why is the deaf community so deaflessing/deafhooding into labeling?
There are only two deaflessing/deafhooding labels necessary….
You are deafhooding/deaflessing a$$hole or you are deafhooding/deaflessing not…and it’s all relative…it’s deafhooding/deaflessing simple!
Deaflessing/Deafhooding move on people…
It is what it is.
Topics: Uncategorized | 34 Comments »
My letter to the L.A. Times Bloggers (RE: Netlfix)
By jjpuorro | June 2, 2009
Hi all,
On our Netflix captioning group on Facebook, Jamie Berke asked me to write a letter to the L.A. Times technolgy bloggers. The bloggers are: Chris Gaither, David Sarno, and Jim Puzzanghera. The letter is pasted below, I sent it about 5 minutes ago.
===================
My name is Jerry, I am a deaf person who relies on closed captioning. I would love it if Netflix would incorporate closed captioning and/or subtitles in their “Instant View” online streaming rentals. I blogged about this two years ago here: http://blog.deafread.com/iwii/archives/1…
Then last week I read this blog: http://willworkforjustice.blogspot.com/2… (see paragraphs 13 and 14). At the Netflix shareholder meeting, its CEO, Reed Hastings mentioned that captioning and subtitling was not “an active agenda item” and that Netflix would incorporate it when its competitors do so.
This has started off a firestorm in the deaf/hard-of-hearing community. Right now, there is a Facebook group dedicated to the cause of getting Netflix to caption its online streaming content. The name of the Facebook group is: “Netflix Watch-Instantly Needs Closed Captions!” and by the last count it had 366 members after having only 200 members this morning.
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
We ALL need your help!
By jjpuorro | June 1, 2009
Hi all,
I want to formulate a plan to get Netflix to caption OR subtitle their movies that they stream over the Internet (see here: http://www.netflix.com/NetflixReadyDevic… ).
As many of you know, last week Netflix’s CEO said that Netflix “had no plans in the near future to caption/subtitle their online content” (see here: http://deafness.about.com/b/2009/05/29/b…).
What I want to do here is to gather IDEAS on how we can combat this and make Netflix to prioritze its plans to caption/subtitle all of their online streaming content.
Call this a brainstorming session if you will…I want ideas from the community..so far I see that many of you are digusted like me…it is time for action.
I want to specifically target Netflix’s online streaming content. Fighting the “captioning wars” is too broad of a concept…let’s focus on this one battle.
I need ideas people!!!
-Protest at Netflix’s HQ?
-Letter writing campigan? To Netflix? To our congressmen?
-Setting up a webpage?
-Doing subtitled vlogs?
-Adding hearing people to our battle by pointing out that captions/subtitles improve literacy and allow people to mute the sound?
-Setting up a Facebook group?
Here’s your chance to do something…let’s form a group of some sort…I cannot do this alone!
-J.J.
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WMAQB: NFL Draft Preview Edition
By jjpuorro | April 23, 2009
I originally wrote this for www.sportsmx.com, but they haven’t put it up yet for whatever reason…instead of letting this go to waste..it’s on my blog now for those who want a primer on this weekend’s NFL draft. Sorry, it is not DETAILED enough (just the top 2-3 prospects at each position)…I have a life you know? Maybe next year I’ll do a full 7 round mock as well…hmmm….
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WMAQB’s NFL Draft Preview:
Before I begin with my preview, it is important to note that I am NOT a draftnik (someone who lives and breathes the NFL draft). I am only interested in the draft from an AFC East angle. This means on draft day I want to laugh at the NY Jets, Miami Dolphins, and the Buffalo Bills while talk up the Pats . Below, I basically listed the top prospects by each position. These are mostly who I *think* are the top prospects. The reason I am NOT a draftnik is because it is an inexact science and nobody other than the NFL scouts/personnel men have the TIME to watch a thousand hours of college film. So, in short…you cannot trust anyone who ranks the prospects..nobody is an expert at this. Even Mel Kipler’s knowledge took a hit in recent years…but Mel Kiper STILL knows EVERY PROSPECT ALIVE. He may not accurately predict where they will go or how good they will be..but he KNOWS them ALL. The hottest guy the last 1-2 seasons has been NFL Network’s Mike Mayock. So, I would trust Mayock’s final mock draft which will come out soon enough.
Without further ado…here are my top 1-3 rankings for each position….along with VERY brief summaries…
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Top QB Prospects:
1.) Matt Safford, GA, 6′2″, 235 lbs., 4.8/40
Complete package who played in a pro-style offense at Georgia. Consistenly imrpoved each year. Only question is his decision making which needs to improve a bit.
2.) Josh Freeman, Kansas St, 6′6″, 240 lbs., 4.8/40
Has a NFL type of body and plays in a pro-style offense. Minus is competition vs. top teams in the nation and does not process his reads fast enough. Raw talent who could use one more season in school.
3.) Mark Sanchez, USC, 6′2 1/2″, 225 lbs., 4.8/40
Physically gifted, quick release, and good pocket awareness. Can hit receivers in stride. Knee may be a concern, but he played with it last year and the NFL loves guys who play through injuries.
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Top RB Prospects:
1.) Knowshon Moreno, Georgia, 5′10 1/2″, 210 lbs., 4.45/40
He apparently can do it all. He can run inside and outsiside. Only issue is his lack of excellent top end speed. I like this guy the best personally, but most draftniks have Beanie ranked higher.
2.) Chris “Beanie” Wells, Ohio State, 6′1″, 235 lbs., 4.5/40
This is a guy who practiced against LB James Laurinatitis every day and is VERY tough to bring down. The kind of RB you may know is coming, but cannot easily stop. He has durability issues, but played through pain and the NFL loves that.
Other names: Donald Brown (CT) and LeSean McCoy (PIT)
Top FB prospects: Quinn Johnson (LSU) and Tony Fiammetta (SYR)
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Top TE Prospect:
1.) Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State, 6′5 1/2″, 260 lbs., 4.85/40
Big guy who can BLOCK very well and has a wide wing span which enables him to make a lot of one handed grabs. Won’t win any foot races at the NFL level, but can plow through defenders.
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Top OL prospects:
I am going to focus on tackles here because in the NFL the tackle position is one of the hardest positions to gather talent at.
1.) Andre Smith, ALA, 6′4″, 330 lbs., 5.3/40
Only knock, PHYSICALLY SPEAKING, is converting some baby fat into muscle and becoming stronger. He can step in from day one. However, MENTALLY SPEAKING, he saw his draft stock take a nose dive after disappearing from the combine. Then he totally bombed at Alabama’s pro day…and looked overweight. Nonetheless, I think he has the most natural talent and could be a great player if he gets himself straightened out. Unsure where he’ll go in the draft…definitely before round 3 I think… Remember I am ONLY ranking him here based on T-A-L-E-N-T and P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L. (Like Bill Parcells said, “Potential only means you haven’t done anything yet.”)
2.) Eugene Monroe, Virginia, 6′5 1/8″, 310 lbs., 5.2/40
He’s more of a pass blocker with finesse, but still very talented and could be the first tackle taken in the draft. Don’t expect him to be a road grader though…but a left tackles’ most important assignment is porotecting the QB’s blind side.
3.) Jason Smith, 6′ 4 1/2″, 300 lbs., 5.15/40
Former tight end who played with mostly a two point stance…would need to adjust a bit for the NFL. Very strong upper body and great work ethic…kind of guy who can get a lot better and be a solid contributor.
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Top WR prospects:
1.) Michael Crabtree, TX Tech, 6′3″, 215, 4.5/40
Used to be a QB in high school…converted to a WR. Does not have exceptional speed, but is big strong and very physical…he can catch everything and make yards after the catch. See the game against then no. 1 Texas where he got the game winning TD.
2.) Jeremy Maclin, Mizzou, 6′1″, 200 lbs., 4.35/40
Basically a big play threat..but some question marks with his route running ability and his thin body type. He does not run bad routes, but has never run complicated NFL type of routes. However, still tons of potential if he hits the weight room and runs new routes.
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Top DL prospects:
1.) DT: B.J. Raji, Boston College, 6′1 1/4″, 326 lbs., 5.19/40
Basically, another Vince Wilfork…going to go in the the top ten for sure now that his marijuana rumor was proven false.
Note…others may rank other DE’s higher..but I love DT’s and believe they are more IMPORTANT to a defense than DE’s.
2.) DE/DT: Tyson Jackson, LSU, 6′4 1/4″, 295 lbs., 4.9/40
Will be rewarded on draft day for his ability to play different positions on the DL. He might not be ranked as high by some other draftniks, but I like senior guys for the lines..these guys have put in four years in the weight room.
3.) DE/OLB Aaron Maybin, Penn State, 6′4″, 240 lbs., 4.65/40
Great pass rusher…unsure if he will play on the D-Line in the NFL. However, he did well against bigger guys in college and has a good mix of quickness and power.
4.) DE/OLB Everette Brown, Florida State, 6′ 3″, 250 lbs., 4.65/40
Similar to Maybin above, but relies on speed even more. The question with both guys (Maybin and Brown) is whether there will be a loss in speed when they bulk up a bit.
5.) DE/OLB Brian Orakpo, Texas, 6′3 1/2″, 250 lbs., 4.65/40
Better vs. the run than the above two guys, but has missed some time over the years. The NFL hates guys that miss games…
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Top LB prospects:
For this section…I will mix up all linebackers…as you can see..some college DE’s above may end up as OLB’s in the NFL.
1.) OLB: Aaron Curry, Wake Forest, 6′1″, 250 lbs., 4.61/40
Likely a top 5 pick…no real negatives. Can play any position…in a 3-4 or a 4-3. Should go #1, IMO, because he offers the LEAST risk.
2.) OLB: Brian Cushing, USC, 6′2 1/2″, 255 lbs., 4.6/40
A bit injury prone…but a great talent. I am hoping he slides all the way to the Patriots pick. Played in big games. Definitely first round material.
3.) ILB, James Laurinaitis, Ohio State, 6′2″, 240 lbs., 4.65/40
IMO, this guy simply has been regarded too highly that he has simply been unable to meet impossible expecations. He makes plays and is good in coverage. What more do you want?
4.) ILB, Rey Maualuga, UCS, 6′2″, 250 lbs., 4.7/40
A pure inside linebacker (”mike”)…questionable coverage skills and may not play on third down much. However, he’s still a good ILB from a big program.
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Top DB prospects:
For this section I am mixing up the CB’s with the safeties.
1.) CB, Vontae Davis, Illinois, 6′0″, 205 lbs., 4.4/40
Brother of Vernon Davis (TE for the Niners). He’s the top DB in the draft if you ask me. Only issues seem to be his “coacability” as he is known for free lancing.
2.) CB/FS, Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State, 6′0″, 200 lbs., 4.5/40
Physical guy who tackles well, has a bit questionable speed and may have trouble against top flight receivers. However, there are not many DB’s on god’s green earth that can cover a top flight WR one on one. This guy could end up as a safety depending on a NFL team’s personnel needs.
3.) CB, Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest, 5′8 3/4″, 192 lbs., 4.45/40
Basically, another Ellis Hobbs…I half-way expect the Pats to target him. Belichick likes his midget DB’s. He does it all, and NFL teams will shy away from his size.
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Draft day is one of the greatest days of the year…after the SUperbowl…there’s nothing but the combine in Indy and seeing who shows up for the off-season work outs in March/April. Then there’s TWO WHOLE days of the draft..and you get to chew it all up before the dog days of the NFL off-season…end of April all the way until training camp opens in mid-July. So, savor draft day all you can!
Some tips for draft day:
1.) Fire up the PC.
2.) Open up ESPN.com and NFL.com tabs in your web browswers.
3.) Go to your favorite team’s forum…and for fun open tabs to your rivals’ forums…
4.) Load an obligatory tab of the fan forum at www.jetsinsider.com to laugh at the jets fans crying about their pick or laugh at them talking about how their draft pick will shatter NFL records…LOL!
5.) Leave the house as soon as the first round begins…YES that’s right…and go get some food..the first round is MISERABLE because of the antcipation and teams using the full time allotment to listen to trade offers. Nowadays picking in the top 10 is a curse because of the massive salaries NFL teams need to pay those players..therefore if a NFL team is unsure..that team listens to ANY offer. Making a bad pick sets back a franchise a bit. As of today there’s talk that seven teams are actively trying to trade out of the top ten and Detroit still has not settled on the #1 pick. (Safford’s agent is shopping Detroit’s offer around and Detroit has an agreement with Curry in place if they take him #1)
6.) Come back with food and fire up the TV (or TV’s if you can) and watch two channels…ESPN and the NFL Network.
7.) Now..with food in hand..start catching up on round 1…the first 4-5 picks usually are predictable anyway.
-Draft day is LONG!!! Be prepared to leave the house to go for a walk…don’t kill yourself waiting for your team to pick..usually what I do is watch a little bit TV…read the forums…over a 15-30 minute span…then leave the house for an hour…and come back and repeat… I simply cannot wait until after draft day to PROCESS all the information..it’s simply too much…I like to catch up in the middle of round 1…the end of round 1….then end of round 2….and then the end of round 3….and then skip to the end of round 5 because that’s middle of day 2…then catch up at the end of the draft…
-The guys on day 2 simply do not matter at this point…out of all of those guys taken…about 35 or so will be still in the NFL within 4 years.
-Respect whatever Mike Mayock says.
-The whole thing is about processing massive amounts of information in spurts and savoring it all because after the draft there’s NOTHING except for the mini-camps until JULY!!!! Even then in July…there are no games…even then in August there are only “fake” games….still 130+ days until kick off…oh the humanity!!!
-If you cannot follow draft day…set up a twitter account and add profootballtalk.com on your twitter. They do periodic updates all day…and you’ll be aware of everything all day via your cell/pda. Personally, I am twittering profootballtalk.com and Reiss’Pieces Patriots Blog.
Have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-WMAQB
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SportsMX Interview with Michael Lizarraga a deaf college basketball player.
By jjpuorro | March 2, 2009
Here’s a link to an interview I did for SportsMX.com with Michael Lizarraga.
http://www.viddler.com/explore/sportsmx/…
It can also be viewed at www.sportsmx.com too (small video).
About 15 mins long…
ROUGH Transcript below:
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-Asked him about his childhood in youth basketball.
Lizarraga was always coached by his father and played in hearing youth leagues until the 7th grade. In the 7th grade he enrolled at CSD Fremont and played on the middle school team.
-Asked him about his high school career.
Mentions that he enjoyed playing with deaf teammates and had 100% communication access. Mentions his greatest memory was beating Head Royce Academy who had beaten CSD, Fremont 22 years in a row. Lizarraga’s team only had 6 men on that night with one of them who just came from the infirmary sick.
-Asked him about AAU ball.
Mentions that he travelled to Vegas, L.A., West Virginia, and several other places. Played against Michael Beasley (now of the Miami Heat) and even saw O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love.
-Asked him who recruited him out of high school.
Mentions Portland State, S.F. University, Lehigh, Princenton, CSUN, and a few others.
-Asked him why he selected CSUN as opposed to Gallaudet, N.T.I.D., or another school?
Says that CSUN was the only school that had the right combination of a good deaf program and division one basketball. Lizarraga’s goal was to play division one basketball.
-Asks him about playing on the team, his role, how he likes the coach, communication issues, and using an interpreter.
Mentions that he loves playing on the team and really likes playing for Coach Braswell. He uses lip reading and body language reading to understand what is said in team huddles during games. He has a teammate named Willie Galick who has been learning how to sign. Sometimes Willie interprets for Lizarraga whenever possible. The interpreter is usually present for all basketball related activities. In practices, Lizarraga stretches and does drills with the post players then joins the team in reviewing the day’s offensive and defensive plays.
-Interviewer states that Lizarraga played 5 minutes per game last year and started out with about 8-9 minutes a game this year before his minutes were non-existent. Asked why?
Mentioned that he missed a practice and made another minor mistake. Hence, he needs to work back onto the court and into the coach’s graces.
-Asked him about playing at UCLA’s Pauley Pavillon.
Talks about how inspiring it was to even walk onto that court. All the history and etc. Scored two points. The interviewer mentions that Lizarraga missed a free throw . Also, mentions that he is a walk on player not a scholarship player.
-Asked him about his major at CSUN.
Majors in RTM (which is recreation and tourism management). Goals are to possibly become a basketball coach some day and/or possibly go into business with his father.
-Asked him about his future plans after CSUN, professional/NBA ball?
Mentions that he doesn’t know about the NBA, but hopes to sign on and play some International ball if possible. Says that there are several players from CSUN who play Internationally now. Interviewer wishes him good luck.
-Asks him his favorite NBA team and NBA player.
Mentions the Sacramento Kings and LeBron James. Talks about how awesome LeBron is and how he’s the only guy that made the leap from high school ball to the NBA seamlessly.
-Interviewer thanks Lizarraga for his time and wishes him good luck in the future.
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Enjoy!-J.J.
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Superbowl Analysis in ASL!
By jjpuorro | February 1, 2009
Check it out…here’s me on a Superbowl preview show on www.sportsmx.com!
SPORTSMX.COM Hot Seats: Superbowl Preview w/ Matt Ellis & J.J. Puorro
Sorry…not subtitled…
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Patriots Hall of Fame to offer mobile captioning!
By jjpuorro | January 26, 2009
nbsp;http://www.boston.com/sports/football/pa…
The greatest football team on the planet is now offering a mobile device to caption everything on display at their hall of fame at Gillette Stadium.
I have not been to the hall of fame before, I tried to go recently..but it was closing in 5-10 minutes after I got there so I did not go in. However, I have used a similar hand held system at Disney World in Orlando. I hope that this catches on.
-J.J.
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Rachel, Ella, Deafread, and Me….
By jjpuorro | July 21, 2008
My name is J.J. Puorro, for those who don’t know…I was one of the six Human Editors for Deafread. This blog will be about my perspective on ALL key issues with Deafread and my experience as a Human Editor. Before I begin this lengthy blog entry, I want to first issue TWO public apologies to two v/bloggers. They are Rachel Chaikof and Ella Mae Lentz.
Rachel, I sincerely apologize for my role in banning you from Deafread. I should have fought harder on your behalf, but I did not do so. I screwed up here, no excuses. I am officially in disagreement with Deafread now over this and this is why I am stepping down as a Human Editor. More about that later….
Ella, I sincerely apologize for publishing Ben Vess’, “Coward” post. I was the one who put it on the front page, the responsibility lies with me and only me. I should have done my job better and recognized it as a direct personal attack on your character and put it into Extra or at least discussed publishing it with my co-Editors. There are no excuses, I screwed up there and I accept full responsibility.
Now to fully extrapolate on Deafread and its many intertwined issues….we have to start at the beginning…way back in the summer of 2006… (Albeit mere 2 years ago, but it feels like a lifetime ago doesn’t it?) Deafread was set up primarily to serve the needs of everyone following the Gallaudet “Better President Now” protests. It was merely set up to “fill a need”. Deafread never set out to be a leader in the deaf community or some sort of a movement. It was set up to be a “one-stop-meeting-place” for all things deaf-related. That was the original intention and that intention has never changed despite Deafread growing bigger than Tayler and Jared ever envisioned when they set up the aggregator.
Despite setting out with the goal of being a “one-stop-meeting-place”, Deafread’s roots stem primarily from the signing community as it started with the explosion of blogs following the May protests at Gallaudet. The only hard of hearing/oral/CI person I truly remember from the beginning was McConnell. He has been with us since day one and even before us. Otherwise, I do not remember many hoh/oral/CI v/bloggers until later on…even if there might well have been a few I am forgetting here. I am sure that my perception is shared by many. This is one of the root causes of the issues within Deafread. The capital D crowd has always had this feeling of, “Why do they want to v/blog with us?”, “What do they have in common with us?”, and/or, “Aren’t they happy and busy in the hearing world by themselves anyway?” So, in short the original signing community crowd on Deafread felt that they were “invaded”…so much of the anti-diversity undercurrent in Deafread stems from this. This is a perfectly natural behavior I have seen in every forum that I have posted in on the Internet. I have been frequenting one sports board for over a decade now and this happens there too. We would be there discussing our favorite team and someone fan from a rival team would come along and post with us and would be welcome by most of us, but alienate a few at the same time. Then more rival posters would show up and a “war of words” would inevitably ensue. It is nothing new…the same thing happens in the real world…I have seen some popular bars in Los Angeles react unfavorably to a “new crowd” overtaking the bar. It’s perfectly natural, people are territorial by nature. Some people will always see the CI/Oral/hoh crowd as “invaders” while most moderates do actually embrace and welcome diversity.
The problem is that those who do not embrace diversity and/or engage in combative v/blogging will unfortunately draw the most attention. I mean, come on…none of us watch those boring TV shows or movies where everything is all rosy…it is human nature to be drawn towards conflict, like we all slow down and look at an accident on the side of the road. Just take a look at the front page of Deafread and the number of hits for each v/blog…those numbers are VERY telling. A post entitled, “Deafread SUCKS” will always get more hits than, “Deafread is the greatest thing since sliced bread”. It is my opinion that everyone should from time to time take a step back and realize that most of the problematic issues are driven by less than maybe forty v/bloggers out of about fifteen thousand v/bloggers and readers (a rough guess here). The truth is that most of us are moderates stuck in the middle as spectators. Trust me, the moderates far out number everyone else…why cannot the moderates lead the way?
The reason the moderates cannot lead the way is simply because none of them feels that passionate about the issues as the extremists do. (Note: When I use ‘extremist’ here I mean anyone who strongly believes in or strongly opposes a particular issue.) There is no way to control this…just like most of us aren’t like Sean Hannity nor Michael Moore…most of us fall in the middle and may lean one way or another a bit slightly. However, make no mistake…the moderates are the greatest force in Deafread. They are the ones that drive up the hit counts and allowing Deafread to remain popular. (FYI, traffic is VERY HIGH this summer and summer is usually a “down season” for Deafread.) They are the ones that provide the extremists with an audience. If you really wanted to hurt a v/blogger…the best way to do it is to not visit their v/blog. I have seen some v/bloggers die a slow death after “shooting themselves in the foot” with their audience because their audience stopped coming back. In short, the moderates need to speak up more or stop visiting those v/blogs that “stir the pot”.
This brings me to my next point…. (Yes, there are a lot of points…but bear with me…I want to keep on track here) it takes a VERY BRAVE person to start v/blogging. It really does…imagine Deafread as a theater with a stage and a HUGE audience in which ANYONE can have their time on stage…there are no auditions…everyone is welcome to speak on stage. The great thing about the Internet is that anyone can express their opinion and it is also the worst thing. This is the reason many v/bloggers feel unprotected, but it is my opinion that you are solely responsible for everything you sign, say, or write on the Internet….this is the power that the Internet gives us and we all need to be responsible for the content we offer. With Deafread we all can reach an audience of eight thousand plus people on any given day and usually even more. In short, anyone who v/blogs on Deafread will always have a huge audience.
Now, there’s one huge difference between an actual theater and Deafread…in an actual theater you can see who is on stage and who is in the audience. On Deafread, it is not always possible to see everyone as anyone could blog anonymously and/or comment anonymously (even vlog anonymously like “Deaf Who”). This is one of the roots of the problems on Deafread. Those who v/blog and/or comment anonymously do not need to take responsibility for the content that they offered unless someone actually tracks them down via their IP number. This is why v/bloggers who do not v/blog anonymously feel “unprotected”. They need to take responsibility for their content while the anonymous v/bloggers/commenters do not have to do so. There are ways to combat this like the v/blogger Carl Schroeder (of Ka’lalau’s Korner) does, he never allows anonymous comments. Personally, I always allow all kinds of comments because I do believe that anonymous comments can be a significant tool. Sometimes there will be people afraid to comment on something publicly in fear or reprisals when they do have something significant to share. Also, it allows people to express their true feelings while NOT exposing their identities. Yes, it is a bit coward-ish…but a valuable tool nonetheless like how many corporations and/or governmental organizations have adopted an anonymous whistle blower policy to prevent illegal activity from occurring within their company/organization.
In summary, Deafread was primarily set up to fit a need during a turbulent time in the signing Deaf community, saw an influx of v/bloggers from the non-signing segment of the deaf community, and started out innocently as a place for everyone in which anyone could make a contribution publicly or anonymously. That sounds like a recipe for disaster now doesn’t it? To me, it came to no surprise that we, the Deafread community, do periodically experience an uprising. However, Deafread has tried VERY HARD to please its community. I have read where some have pointed out that Deafread cannot be everything to everyone. This is where I am in complete disagreement. It is true that Gallaudet couldn’t be everything to everyone, but Gallaudet is a brick and mortar institution whereas Deafread exists solely on the Internet while on some server somewhere in San Diego, California. The Internet makes it possible for web sites to be everything to everyone, just look at Ebay.com, Amazon.com, and etc…those sites serve everyone without problems (I know, they sell stuff…big difference, but the point remains…the Internet makes it possible). I feel that Deafread has already provided the necessary tools to make it work for everyone.
In the beginning, Deafread would not publish non-deaf related posts and many in the community complained about this. This led to the creation of the Deafread Extra page in which Deafread provides transparency in what it does or does not publish by putting non-deaf related entries on the Extra page. Then this led to the creation of the guidelines to assist v/bloggers in creating entries that would be published on the front page. Then this wasn’t enough and Deafread instituted a system in which people could vote to have entries on the Extra page moved to the front page. Then at the conference in San Francisco there was an outcry for a “safe haven” for the signing segment of the deaf community. Deafread heard these people LOUD and CLEAR, but after a lengthy internal discussion and numerous of discussions with experts in the deaf community, Deafread came to the conclusion that as a mere v/blog aggregator on the Internet it was in no position to make that type of decision in which it would effectively decide how the deaf community should be broken up into different segments. So, Deafread instead introduced the filtering function in which you could choose to not view some v/blogs by simply clicking on “hide this blog”. This still did not satisfy the signing community and Deafread then floated the idea of “DeafSide” an entirely new aggregator for the signing community only with a panel of three moderators to determine what qualified as “a pro ASL entry”, but that never got off the ground because of lack of participation. (FTR, I never liked the “DeafSide” idea.) Trust me, there were times that I felt like asking for Deafread to just shut down and post a list of v/blogs and post detailed instructions on how to utilize your RSS feeders. Deafread is effectively trying to be a RSS service so that you all do not need to create your own RSS feeds to keep it technologically simple.
In short, Deafread has already bent over backwards to accommodate everyone’s needs and the tools are already there to make it all to work for each one of you. There have been arguments to remove the Human Editors and just allow everything to be published on the front page and I, for one, do not agree with this option. I personally approved only about half of all entries each day and trust me there were a lot of irrelevant entries that would just have drowned out the deaf related entries. Remember even Digg.com has Human Editors (http://valleywag.com/346263/diggs-secret-editors); Human Editors are a necessity until computers become smart enough to evaluate “gray areas”. I also believe that Deafread must maintain its niche which is being a one-stop-place-for-all-things-deaf-related. As for the need for a safe haven for the signing community, can someone tell me why everybody in the signing community hasn’t utilized Deafvideo.tv? Do you all realize that a non-signer could never participate there as everything is done on video including the comments? And best yet, it’s nearly impossible to be anonymous on Deafvideo.tv as you would need to wear a mask. In addition, you can talk about ANYTHING…there’s no Extra page and there are no Human Editors. I don’t get it, use Deafvideo.tv if you need that “safe haven”. By the way, the traffic there is even higher than Deafread also.
Deafread has bent over backwards for the signing community as well as the non-signing community. From day one, Deafread has REFUSED to eliminate the non-signing v/bloggers despite a massive outcry from some in the signing community. Deafread does not believe in censoring anyone at all. It never has. It is true that every editor is primarily a member of the signing community, but that’s understandable given Deafread’s origins during the Gallaudet protests. However, to characterize Deafread as anti-hoh/oral/CI/whatever else would be erroneous at best. I believe that Deafread has done right by its community for the most part. It has truly remained neutral for the most part.
However, I am in complete disagreement with Deafread over banning Rachel Chaikof’s Cochlear Implant Online blog. I think that this is the biggest error Deafread has made to date and that it needs to be rectified. You see, I am at fault for this error as well. I am not innocent here at all. When it was first revealed that Chaikof was a member of Cochlear America’s volunteer awareness group, I went along with banning her believing that the evidence was damning enough. Then later on after examining the evidence Deafread used and the evidence that Deaf Pundit (of the Deaf Edge blog) posted against the guideline that Chaikof was in violation of, I changed my mind. You see, I was never a huge fan of Chaikof’s site (nothing against her or anything…just a matter of taste), so I never defended to death her right to blog on Deafread. This is where I made a serious lapse in judgment and here I apologize for doing so again. I believe that Chaikof at the very minimum deserved due process. She was simply sent an E-mail informing her of her banishment after the evidence was reviewed. However, it should be noted that when Chaikof made the E-mail public that probably pushed the issue beyond the point of no return. While I do have my doubts about Chaikof being completely and totally innocent in light of the evidence, I still feel that she never directly violated guideline #6 which reads as:
==================
6.) Commercial Sites
We do not link to commercial sites for the purpose of generating profit, other than our own (we have expenses to cover!).
==================
My main beef is that Chaikof never DIRECTLY marketed a single product or a company. She may have intentionally or unintentionally indirectly served as a propaganda site for the cochlear implant industry, but she never once blogged something like, “Oh! Look at this new CI product by Cochlear America! You must buy it ASAP!!!” She mainly blogged about her life as a CI user, other successful CI users, the benefits of having CI’s, and offered links to CI sites for those who were curious to learn more about CI. I learned a lot from her site though.
I felt that Chaikof never violated the SPIRIT OF THE RULE. The spirit of the rule was to prevent competition with Deafread’s sponsor Sprint because Sprint paid for the right to advertise exclusively on Deafread. Also, I felt that rule six cannot be properly enforced unless someone is in DIRECT violation of the rule. The rule cannot be enforced uniformly the way that Deafread enforced it. The rules should cover black and white areas, not the gray areas. I believe that if I looked hard enough, I could find twenty or so more blogs in violation of the rule in the way Deafread interpreted it.
I truly believe that Deafread made a major error here and needs to rectify this error, but I am in the minority here and I am speaking up too late. I have discussed this issue in depth with my fellow editors, many personal friends, and fellow v/bloggers yet many do still support Deafread’s decision. I cannot do so and I cannot remain silent on this issue anymore and it is why I am stepping down as a Human Editor. I cannot go on as if it never happened. It is because of this decision that Deafread is not what it used to be to me anymore.
However, I must note that Deafread never had a sinister agenda to one day remove Chaikof from Deafread. Deafread actually fought against the outcries to remove Chaikof and other non-signing v/bloggers on numerous occasions. The Deafread team truly believes they are on the right side of the argument here and so do many intelligent v/bloggers and I respect their opinions here. I do think that the rule could be interpreted differently by everyone and that it is all relative. Additionally, Deafread is actually perfectly in within its right to determine what content is to be accepted on Deafread, it even says in the guidelines near the bottom that they “reserve the right to make a final decision”. It is also mentioned that Deafread can also change the guidelines to adapt to ever changing scenarios. So, in short…nobody is right or wrong here, it is just that I disagree on Chaikof’s banishment and cannot continue as a Human Editor because of this.
Despite this one error, Deafread is really a great place to visit on the Internet and serves a larger purpose. It is easy to dwell on the negativity and forget the positives. Deafread allowed the signing community to effectively communicate during the Gallaudet protests, helped a young girl named Tara find a place to live, served as the beginning of a great concept behind the Deaf Bilingual Coalition, taught a lot of people…myself included about cochlear implants, increased awareness about Deafhood, covered the protests at schools for the deaf in North Carolina and Mississippi, showed us all different sides of being deaf, gave us many laughs from the likes of Gary Brooks/Seek Geo/Cohen Brothers/JohnABC, gave us thought provoking posts from a wide variety of people, and so forth…just to cite a few examples. I still believe in Deafread and its purpose and mission.
We all need to remember that we all are humans here and we all make mistakes. Being a Human Editor has been a mentally draining experience for me because we had to constantly make decisions on the fly on what to approve and what to not approve. Also, we always thought about ways to improve Deafread and took all suggestions to mind as well and the suggestions were numerous to say the least. Every time a conflict occurred it would be mentally draining for me even if I were on vacation like I was at the time of the Chaikof banishment. I did not even really talk to people, I was glued to my sidekick somewhere in a corner reading everything on Deafread and E-mailing people. During the latest DBC brouhaha I was just going through the motions literally when I published Ben Vess’ vlog when I should have been paying attention more intently. I also hated the fact that I was usually unable to respond to a lot of the ongoing arguments because of my role as a Human Editor. At the end of the day, I am just an unemployed accountant…not some true leader or a professional in the deaf community. Remember, I only came on board to help out during the Gallaudet protests because I lived on the east coast and was able to publish entries early in the mornings. I truly did consider myself a moderate and a responsible Human Editor and yet I still made the error of publishing a vlog that questioned the character of a highly respected member of the ASL community and participated in the banishment of a highly respected young member of the CI community….and managed to piss off both ends of the deaf community in the process. I clearly do not feel like I should be a Human Editor anymore…the responsibility is just too great…
Last, but not least, the Deafread team is filled with people well intentioned people that I still do consider my friends. It is just that I am terminating our professional relationship today based on the Chaikof issue and the mental draining experience of being an editor…I do ask you all to take it easy on the Deafread team and also when you all complain about something, please do at least try to offer a CONSTRUCTIVE solution. That’s one thing I hated as an editor, people who just complained, but never recommended changes to improve Deafread. Sure, there were a few recommendations that we disagreed with, but the Deafread team does listen to each and every recommendation despite how numerous. Additionally, please do not complain about things that Deafread actually cannot control (i.e. comments on someone’s blog).
Whether you all like it or not, Deafread is truly representative of the deaf community at large. And the deaf community is not perfect…it never has been…it has always been divided by language methods and the fact that deaf people are also members of every race and ethnicity. It has always been inevitable that these uprisings would occur. It is unavoidable given how the community is made up…
It is not perfect….it is what it is…..
-J.J.
Topics: Uncategorized | 50 Comments »
My Hi-Def Captioning Issues Have Been Fixed!!!
By jjpuorro | June 3, 2008
About 4 weeks ago, my captioning on NBC in HDTV all of sudden started to work smoothly. This was after the captions were garbled for a period of 3-4 months with me trying to contact anyone who could help me.
All of this is detailed in my previous entries: http://blog.deafread.com/iwii/archives/2…
Go to the above link..and back track to the original entry via the links provided in the above link.
This is an update for those who have been following the story from the beginning…
Everything works perfectly, BUT I DO NOT know what was done to fix it specifically. I have been in the process of finding out how it was fixed and by whom. This is why this update is waaayyy past due…
However, let’s for now ASSUME that my letter to Time Warner’s General Manager worked…because action was taken in exactly 42 days after I mailed off the letter…and the deadline was 45 days for me to officially file a complaint to the FCC per their OLD website (they have since then upgraded the site to allow you to complain directly online: http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm ).
So, I recommend anyone with similar issues to do what I did:
a.) Call customer service for your local provider and ASK them for the General Manager’s name or mailing address.
b.) Write a letter to the local provider’s GM telling him/her the EXACT problem and that you will have no choice but to officially file a complaint with the FCC if the issue is not resolved soon.
That’s basically what I did and I did it by snail mail…it may or may not have worked…
I plan on finding out if my process worked or the issue was fixed by itself…will update you all then..
-J.J.
Topics: Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Update on my battle with Time Warner (HDTV captioning issues)
By jjpuorro | March 21, 2008
TRANSCRIPT:
Hi,
First, sorry for no subtitles being provided…. I just wanted to give a quick and short update here. A transcript is provided below.
If you want to know the back story the links are provided below (top link being the most recent):
http://blog.deafread.com/iwii/archives/2…
http://blog.deafread.com/iwii/archives/2…
This is another update on my captioning problems in HDTV using Time Warner’s (”TW” for short) cable service in the L.A. area…more specifically the valley area.
As I said in my previous vlog, I e-mailed nbc.com and knbc.com (local affiliate)…I haven’t heard anything back from them yet.
I went to the FCC website and the website said that I had to write a formal letter of complaint to my local provider’s general manager and allow for 45 days for the situation to be remedied before filing a formal complaint to the FCC. I sent the letter 3 days ago and am going to follow that procedure appropriately.
See link:
http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/dro/tips_on_filin…
If I do not hear anything within 42 days, I will then officially file a complaint to the FCC. The letter is pasted here:
==============
March 17th, 2008
General Manager
Time Warner Communications
18533 Roscoe Blvd.
Office # 210
Northridge, CA 91324
Dear General Manager,
My name is J.J. xxxx, I am a deaf customer of Time Warner cable in the San Fernando Valley. I have a high definition television with a Time Warner provided Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD box connected to it. As a deaf customer, I rely solely on closed captioning to view my programs and the captions are provided digitally by the 8300HD box.
I have been experiencing inconsistent captioning on channel 404 (NBC-HD). The captions either flash too quickly or are skipped over entirely. For example, in a conversation between two characters on television, the captions would only display for one character’s dialogue. This issue is happening consistently twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Please note that channel 04 (NBC standard definition) works perfectly. Additionally, on channel 402 (CBS HD) specifically during broadcasts and recorded (DVR) episodes of the show named, “Jericho” (Tuesday evenings at 10PM on CBS) the captions completely disappear for approximately four minutes early in the broadcast. There are a few other erratic captioning on both channels 407 and 411 (ABC HD and Fox HD), but I cannot specifically pinpoint an issue just yet (some random garbled transmission, but not consistently garbled). The ABC-HD and CBS-HD feeds should be looked into before it becomes a consistent problem, I believe.
I have already taken all necessary steps to remedy this situation with customer service at the local Time Warner offices located in Chatsworth, California. Initially, I placed a call to customer service and they walked me through rebooting my box and asked questions off their customer service scripts and determined that the problem had to be on my end. So, an appointment was scheduled for a technician to come by. A technician came by and he was unable to find any problems on my end. A few days after the technician left, I called Time Warner to follow up and the customer service representative determined that it must have been an issue with NBC’s high definition feed. I asked the representative for a number to call NBC and the representative did not have any other suggestions other than going online and E-mailing NBC from their website. I sent an E-mail to both NBC websites (both NBC.com and KNBC.com) directing my E-mail to their technical support divisions. I have not gotten a response from them for several days now. Additionally, I investigated a neighbor’s service in my apartment complex and he was also experiencing erratic captioning on his NBC high definition channel (channel 404). I further consulted with a friend who uses DirecTV in the Hollywood area and he is not experiencing any captioning issue with NBC-HD. Several of my friends nationwide are not experiencing captioning issues with NBC-HD in markets outside of Los Angeles.
With nowhere else to turn, I finally went to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) website to file a complaint. The website instructed me to contact the general manager of my local TV distributor in writing first before filing a formal complaint. This letter is a formal complaint of the high definition feed captioning problems I am experiencing as a Time Warner customer in the San Fernando Valley. I look forward to resolving this situation immediately!
Thank you,
J.J. XXXX
==============
On my previous vlog, I just got a comment yesterday from someone who saw my vlog yesterday. This person happens to live in the valley as well. She also has the exact same set up I have (box, TV, service) and is experiencing the same exact problem as I am!!!!
She sent an E-mail to TW customer service complaining about the captioning…and GUESS WHAT???…TW actually responded to her telling her that High Definition Channels are not captioned!?!?!?!?! OMG!!! This woman was upset and forwarded that E-mail response to the FCC herself. We’ll see what happens with that…this happened about two months ago in January… The E-mail thread is pasted below, the commenter gave me her permission to do so:
==============
From: (Name & E-mail omitted)
Date: Thu, Jan 10, 2008 at 1:10 PM
Subject: Closed Captioning on HD channels
To: dtvinfo at fcc.gov
This is a response I got from Time Warner Cable in response to closed-captions not appearing on an ABC High Definition channel for two nights on Jan 8 and 9, when in fact the closed-captions did appear on a standard ABC channel. In the past, I’ve been able view closed-captions without any problems on most HD channels. I believe their information to be incorrect.
When there is closed captions on a standard broadcast channel (ABC, NBC, CBS, etc) and if it sometimes fails to show closed captions on the similarly broadcast HD channel, where does the problem lie? With the cable company or the network?
Thank you for any assistance you can provide in this matter.
(Name omitted)
***********************************************
Dear (Name omitted)
Thank you for you e-mail.
We do apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused you regarding
your services. Regarding your issue to close captioning not working on
the High Definition Channels, your issue with your Digital Receivers and
duplicate channels. We can help you out with that. Unfortunately the
High Definition Channels are not offered in close captioning due to the
fact the owners of each High Definition channel have chosen not to have
that feature come with there High Definition Channel. The issue with
your Digital Receiver may be your wiring, what we done is have
technician to come out on January 11, 2008 between 8am to 10am to find
the issue with your Digital Cable Service. Time Warner Cable offer
duplicate channels because each channel will represent one for analog
which is Channel 26 for discovery and 210 is a digital channel.
Unfortunately there is not way to stop your favorites from duplicating
the same channels on your favorites. We do apologize for any
inconvenience we may have caused you. All non-digital televisions will
not be able to receive any channels after February 17th 2009 unless they
have the digital converter box hooked up to them. The reason for the
change is so that all consumers will be able to receive movie quality
programming and sound on all of their channels. You will still need to
keep and use the antenna from your analog television as well as the
equipment. The technology being used is more efficient for broadcasters
and consumers and will allow broadcasters to free up parts of the
airwaves for future uses. Most televisions that are being made
and sold have a built in digital tuner which will allow you to keep your
services the same after the conversion. Make sure to check your owners
manual for all of your televisions to see if the contain a built in
digital tuner. The expected cost associated with purchasing the
converter equipment needed for older model televisions will be between
$50-70. There is a brighter side to this cost. The Federal Government
will offer up to two converter box coupons valued at $40.00each to those
households who will need to add this equipment beginning in the early
part of 2008. I have included the link to the website as well as the
phone number that will answer any further questions or concerns you may
have for this change over. You will even find information on where to
purchase the required equipment for analog televisions. Of course you
will still be able to contact us as well if you require any further
information. We thank you for your ongoing support and patience with
this issue during this time.
http://www.dtvanswers.com/dtv_what.html or call 1-800-DTV-2009 to
speak with a live representative.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us
at the number listed below or respond to this e-mail. Our telephone
representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Avoid trip
charges on your bill by adding the Service Protection Maintenance Plan
for only $2.95. Please respond to this email or call customer service to
add this service.
Thank you (name omitted) for choosing Time Warner Cable Services.
Regards Mohamed H, Time Warner Cable Agent.
Original Message Follows:
————————
** THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN FORWARDED BY THE ONLINE FEEDBACK SYSTEM **
TIME WARNER CABLE WEBSITE CUSTOMER FEEDBACK
Wednesday, January 09, 2008, 14:44:22
The following inquiry was received through the TimeWarnerCable website
feedback form.
NAME: (Name omitted)
E-MAIL: (E-mail omitted)
PHONE: (Phone omitted)
ADDRESS:
(Address omitted)
ACCOUNT NUMBER:
MESSAGE:
The past two nights (1/7 and 1/8) the closed captioning has not worked
on ABC-HD channel 407 for primetime shows. It does work on channel 7.
Can you please ensure you have the captioning settings turned on for the
HD channels?
Also, the cable box still continues to reboot erratically. We have
replaced the cable box many times and have had technicians come out to
no avail. Please advise on what can be done to fix this issue.
Why are there duplicate channels, for example Discovery is on channel 26
and 210. Every time I try to save one as a “Favorite Channel” it saves
both of them and I’m tired of having to click duplicate channels for all
of my favorite channels. What can be done to avoid this?
Thanks -
(Name omitted)
==============
I will follow up with a vlog at the end of April (after 45 days) or before if the situation is resolved beforehand…man, this is really frustrating…(shakes head)…until the next update….
Topics: Uncategorized | 15 Comments »
Freaky video (belongs in DR Extra)….
By jjpuorro | March 17, 2008
Judgment day could be a lot closer than we think….
http://gizmodo.com/368651/new-video-of-b…
Pretty cool, huh?
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
BRIEF UPDATE: CC issues with NBC-HD signal in L.A. area
By jjpuorro | March 11, 2008
Read/watch the previous v/blog first at:
http://blog.deafread.com/iwii/archives/23
This vlog is an update. This vlog is NOT SUBTITLED, a transcript is provided below. My apologies in advance.
1 MINUTE 57 SECONDS LONG
Transcript of the vlog above:
===============
Hi all,
First of all, I am sorry about no subtitles being offered here. I just wanted to offer a quick and brief update.
Today, I called Time Warner and told customer service that I already had a tech come, determine that the issue was not on my end, and that my call was a follow up call.
I mentioned that all channels were working just fine except for NBC-HD and that even NBC’s standard definition channel worked just fine.
Time Warner’s cust svc rep said that it MUST BE NBC’s HDTV signal. I was like, “Ummm okay fine” even if I still believe it is a Time Warner issue…and I politely asked him if he knew of someone I could contact at NBC to resolve the issue…he said, “Umm…let me look up on NBC.com for you”..and I told him to not to bother…and thanked him for his time and hung up.
Then I went to NBC.com and couldn’t really find a phone number…NBC.com is a “national” website…but I did find an E-mail for “
Technical/Website” issues which was actually the webmaster’s address…and fired off an E-mail basically summarizing my problem and saying, “I am unsure if this is the correct person to contact, but please forward this E-mail to the appropriate party and/or let me know who to contact…”. I also fired off an E-mail to KNBC which is the NBC affiliate for Los Angeles.
Frankly, I don’t expect to hear back from them (they probably get a lot of E-mail and cannot respond to them all)…but I am gonna give them 1-2 days before I call in the big dogs…the FCC…
IN ASL: KICK.DOWN.DOOR.GUNS.DRAWN
Will follow up with an update on the next step….thanks!
===============
Topics: Uncategorized | 11 Comments »
A 17 month toddler can read….(her parents used sign language)
By jjpuorro | March 10, 2008
Anyone see this link ???
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23556514
It is an article on MSNBC.com today about a toddler who can read complete words and some phrases at 17 months old…she is being raised by parents who use sign language as well as spoken language to teach her.
I don’t know much about babies…but apparently this is a BIG DEAL???
-J.J.
Topics: Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
Captioning issues with NBC-HD via Time Warner:
By jjpuorro | March 9, 2008
Hi all,
This vlog is in addition to Seek Geo’s vlogs about his issues with Charter cable in Washington state…see the links below:
Seek Geo’s issues were NO CAPTIONING AT ALL on a particular channel. He got fed up and got a satellite dish and now is in the process of filing a complaint to the FCC.
My issue is in regards to Time Warner (see photo —>) in the San Fernando Valley (north of Los Angeles). I am not getting consistent captioning on NBC in High Definition when all of my other high definition channels are working correctly. This vlog is about my situation with Time Warner…this is part one…part two will follow when I make the next step…enjoy!!!
SIX MINUTES LONG…rough transcript is pasted below the vlog as well.
ROUGH TRANSCRIPT:
===================
Hi, this vlog is about my captioning problems with my TV. I am using Time Warner cable service. I live in the L.A. area….OK, my problem is with NBC in High Definition…what you see behind me is NBC in standard definition, see the gray bars behind me? I set the TV that way even though I could have stretched my 4:3 picture. I set it that way to be able to show a clear comparison of the differences…Now look behind me….it’s NBC’s standard definition channel here I will show the captions then I will show captions in HDTV….and you’ll see the differences…ok ready???
See?? It’s fine…PERFECT…No problems at all…..Now, I am going to switch from channel 4 to…404…which is the NBC HDTV channel…ready???
Look here……
See? Some words are missing…..or the captions are blinking on the screen Now…I am going to set up the camera
and explain my situation in detail….
Hello….now you just saw what I showed you….the differences between….channel 4 and 404….that proves to me that NBC is not the problem…because NBC has smooth captioning on the regular channel….yet it is screwy on HDTV The problem is THEM!!!,the cable folks…because they are responsible for the converter box which converts the signal into captions. If NBC’s signal is right….and nothing is wrong on my end…..It’s THEM!!!!!!!!!!! So, I called “THEM” roughly two weeks ago….to make an appointment….they wanted to charge me $20 to have a man come over….I was like, “Ummm..why?” They said, “Because it is a problem on your end, not ours”. After a few minutes of back and forth……they agreed to waive the $20 fee. Even though I knew it was their fault I needed to be sure I was not to be charged $20 for any reason…So, they sent a tech over…..and I picked up the remote and showed him the problem……He went to work……Talked on his cell some….Worked a bit more…..Back on the cell again…..It took over an hour….I even had some lunch…..Finally, I said, “So..what’s up?” The tech shook his head and said, “It’s THEM!!!!”. I was like, “Right on dude!”. The tech now supported what I said…while on the telephone with cust svc for 30-45 minutes the week before. When I first called cust svc…I had to be patient while..they went down their script…point-by-point…..when they ran out of options..I asked to speak to a manager….That wasn’t successful..and I said,”I am talking to the wrong person here…there has to be someone in the bldg like a rocket scientist who can fix the problem”. The manager kept insisting that it was a problem on my end…So, I finally agreed to make an appt for a tech to come over Now that the tech has come and confirmed that I was correct….I am going to call them tomorrow…errr…on Monday….I’ll let you all know what happens next…..
I just wanted to update you all because of Seek Geo’s vlogs about his issues with Charter in Washington state….Geo got fed up and is now contacting the FCC…..and he also got a satellite dish!!! I want to see who else may be having the same problems???? Please do let us know of your ideas or stories???? I want to know what’s going on I want to make sure that all HDTV captioning is done correctly everywhere in America……
I also have another problem….with FOX-HD channel 411 the captioning is SLIGHTLY off…it seems to occur about 3-4% of the time per my calculations…With NBC-HD it’s always screwy….I also have noticed some issues with CBS during “Jericho”. Do you have the same problem? When I watch “Jericho” in HDTV..Every week the captions disappear for about 3-4 minutes….and I gotta start lipreading…..then the captions are just fine…It’s been happening for four weeks now…..Is it happening to anyone else??? OK, thanks everyone…..
I’ll update you all on the next step….
=============================
Topics: Uncategorized | 21 Comments »
Why *I* think vloggers on DR SHOULD offer subtitles and/or transcripts…
By jjpuorro | February 12, 2008
A rough transcript is offered below:
Why *I* think vloggers on DR SHOULD offer subtitles and/or transcripts…
-First of all, I am making this vlog entirely independent from my role as a DeafRead human editor.
-Second, I realize that other vloggers have already brought this issue up, but I felt so strongly here that I had to throw in my two cents as well. We as deaf people in general have always been excluded from many things such as: television shows, movies, airline in flight movies, you tube videos, streaming videos from the internet, even most movies on Ipods, and etc. The fact that everything is not closed captioned and/or subtitled is the BIGGEST ISSUE for me as a deaf person. I just strongly believe that if we are to demand that everything be captioned and/or subtitled, we should practice what we preach.
-Third, here are a few GOOD reasons why we all should subtitle our vlogs or offer a transcript:
A.) There are many deaf blind readers browsing DeafRead and it is important to offer transcripts for them.
B.) Sometimes people do not want to view an entire vlog and if you offered a transcript, they would still be able to get your message without the need to view your entire vlog. It is virtually impossible to view every vlog in its entirety submitted on DeafRead every day unless you quit your day job or something. Reading is faster than watching every time. By offering transcripts, you reach a wider audience more quickly. This would also help us the human editors to approve your vlogs much quicker (sometimes I make the mistake of putting a vlog in extra because the vlogger does not mention something deaf-related within 30 seconds, but does so later in the vlog).
C.) Most important one…the audience!!! I feel that many deaf vloggers need to reach out to the non-signing audience. For example, Seek Geo mentioned that he vlogged about IP Relay Prank Calls being made by hearing pople and subtitled it. After he posted his vlog, he was contacted by a hearing person who apologized for posting a you tube video showing people how to make prank calls via relay and removed those videos from youtube. How can we change the world if we cannot get our message out to a wide audience?
-Fourth, I love and cherish ASL!!! It is my primary language! I also understand that subtitling American Sign Language is very difficult and not entirely possible in some cases, but still a transcript should be offered nonetheless. It does not need to contain words for each sign, it merely needs to simply convey what you want to say. Even a one sentence summary would do.
Fifth, as for wanting your vlogs to be in pure ASL without subtitles, you can use Google Video like I am using here. Google Video in conjunction with ‘Subtitle Workshop’ offer the capability to have your vlogs captioned only if you press the “CC” button on/off.
-Last, I understand that subtitling/transcribing is time consuming, but I feel that we as deaf people should set an example. Just my feelings on the issue…thanks for watching!
Topics: Uncategorized | 26 Comments »
This guy is definitely hardcore….
By jjpuorro | January 17, 2008
I’d have done a Peter Patriot helmet though…..
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »
So, who got NBC’s ‘Heroes’ captioned online?
By jjpuorro | November 20, 2007
I recently had to relocate to Southern California from Boston. In the process of moving, I had to abandon my cable television service along with my DVR (Digital Video Recorder) box. This was very annoying for me because I am a person who watches a TON of serial television shows. I had to miss the season premieres of shows like ’Heroes’, ‘Prison Break’, ‘House MD’, ‘Bones’, and a few more. I am the kind of person who must watch every episode of a show in order. I cannot miss 1-2 shows and then read the episode recaps online and catch up later. I’d rather stop watching a show and wait for the DVD to be released many months later.
So, after setting up cable here in California, I saw that ‘Heroes’ was playing on an alternate channel. I decided to go online to NBC.com to check the episode titles to be sure I could DVR the correct shows. While the alternate channel was already 4-5 episodes into season 2 and the first two episodes weren’t even available online on NBC.com, I decided to just watch a part of one episode online to check out the playback quality.
BOOM!
I noticed a button for “Extra Features” in the video player that led to a button for “Closed Captions”!!! Yes, ‘Heroes’ is captioned online, no joke.
Here’s what you have to do:
1.) Go to NBC.com
2.) Select ‘Heroes’
3.) Select Episode
4.) Select Chapter
5.) Wait for the 30 second commercial to complete playback
6.) Click on ‘Extra Features’ on the top right hand corner of the video player
7.) Click on ‘CC’.
After doing that, you will see a window open OFF SCREEN on the RIGHT HAND SIDE displaying all dialogue.
Yes, I know…..off screen captions suck…it should be on screen…I agree…but it’s progress right?
So, out of curiosity I decided to check other NBC shows on the website….none of them were captioned at all. It was only ‘Heroes’ that was captioned online. Then I went to abc.com, cwtv.com, fox.com, and cbs.com and none of them offered any captions for online episodes. (Not even ‘Jericho’. Note to Ms. Stern: If you can do anything about this…it’d be appreciated…thanks!)
This made me wonder why NBC’s ‘Heroes’ is essentially the FIRST network television show to be captioned online? Why not the other NBC shows? It made me wonder whether there was a massive letter/email writing campaign that I missed? Did enough Deaf/HH people complain? Or did someone with some juice pull some strings? Does anyone know? Did you do anything about this? Or do you know of anyone who wrote a letter/email?
I’d like to know how this happened. I’d like to get involved in getting Network TV content captioned online. I have heard about Project Read On, but was wondering if there are any other links for organizations or groups of people trying to get online content captioned? I am more interested in captions for the online Network episodes though…
I do remember that when NBC planned on casting a hearing person to play a Deaf character on the show ‘Bionic Woman’, the Deaf community complained (good riddance, BTW) and then NBC cut the Deaf character out of the show. Does anyone remember exactly what the Deaf community did to make this happen? I do not remember signing a petition or anything…were there a bunch of Deaf actors picketing? Or did a lot of people write letters/emails?
I am just wondering if NBC has a hand on the pulse of the Deaf community? Or is it that there simply was a large Deaf community following for the show ‘Heroes’?
-J.J.
Topics: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Netflix’s “Instant Viewing” does not support closed captioning.
By jjpuorro | June 5, 2007
Netflix is now introducing “Instant Viewing” which enables anyone with an Internet connection to be able to watch movies on their personal computer (link: http://www.netflix.com/MediaCenter?id=53…) . This was appealing to me because I would be able to watch movies instantly. The reason I jumped ship from Netflix to Blockbuster online was because with Blockbuster I am able to run out to a local store and exchange my viewed DVD for another one instantly. Timing is especially important for me because I watch tons of serial TV shows on DVD’s and it irriates me whenever I finish a DVD and cannot watch the next episode on another DVD. With “Instant Viewing” I would be able to watch a million TV episodes without even running out to the local Blockbuster. Great idea, right?
Being Deaf, I fully expected “Instant Viewing” to not support closed captioning. Nonethless, I decided to shoot off an E-mail and see if the movies were closed captioned. Here’s the E-mail string pasted below:
=================================================
From:”Netflix Customer Service” <customerservice@netflix.com>
[Add to Address Book]
To:jj.puorro@xxxx.com
Subject:Re: Other [NFC15] NFLX ID: 0WA943MY48U0TCHBURX8FR8U9084TTDA
Date:Tuesday, June 05, 2007 5:55:28 PM
[View Source]
Dear J.J.,
Thanks for your message.
Netflix is committed to assisting our customers. While our instant viewing
content does not currently support closed captioning, it is a feature that we
are looking to expand upon.
You may reach instant viewing support at 1-866-402-2616 between 7am and 11pm
Pacific Time, seven days a week. Please note that we will need you to be in
front of your computer at the time you call.
If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
Thanks,
Christopher
Netflix Customer Service
Satisfied with our response?
SATISFIED
http://www.netflix.com/CSSurvey?tid=0WA9…
ul=yes
UNSATISFIED
http://www.netflix.com/CSSurvey?tid=0WA9…
ul=no
AOL users please copy and paste the link into your browser.
> —–Original Message—–
> From: jj.puorro at xxxx.com
> Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 8:54:16 PM
> To: customerservice at netflix.com
> Subject: Other [NFC15]
>
>
> Subject: watch now
> Error Code:
> Hi,
>
> I am a former Netflix subscriber. I am curious about the “Watch Now”
> feature. Are the movies subtitled or closed captioned? Meaning if the DVD
> offers subtitles, would the movie be subtitled on the PC as well?
>
> I am a Deaf person who relies on captions/subtitles to watch films.
>
> Thanks for any response that I may receive.
>
> -J.J.
============================================
” While our instant viewing content does not currently support closed captioning, it is a feature that we
are looking to expand upon.”
It’s nice that they are “looking to expand upon”, but as a Deaf person I know that this isn’t happening anytime soon. A part of me just accepts this fact and another part of me is sick and tired of this crap. Don’t get me wrong, Netflix isn’t out to ruin things for the Deaf community or anything. It’s just that it does not occur to these people when they are inventing something new to make their invention 100% accessible to everybody. I can understand that “they” don’t mean to exclude the Deaf community and that things like this happen all the time.
However, think about this….does anyone see any public buliding being built these days without wheelchair ramps, handicapped bathrooms, water fountains set closer to the ground, and etc..???? The answer is “No”…at least in America. What happens if a builder builds a bulding without wheelchair access? Surely, the builder would get fined and be forced to install accessible ramps and so forth.
There needs to be a law in this country that requires everything on broadcast on TV, shown in the movie theaters, on DVD, and streamed on the Internet to be closed captioned. We in the Deaf community are always playing catch up with techonology. Right now, we can’t watch movies from Netflix on our PC’s, we cannot catch a missing episode of ‘Lost’ on line, we cannot always watch the bonus features on DVD’s, and so forth…it is getting old. I lived through TV not always being captioned on prime time, movies not being captioned at all, and now streaming videos…..when will we ever be “ahead of the technological curve”? Will it ever happen?
P.S.- I have to moderate all comments. I was just hit with 8,000+ spam comments….anyone know how to delete all of them instead of 20 at a time???
Topics: Uncategorized | 53 Comments »
Captioned films have come a long way…..
By jjpuorro | April 5, 2007
I was at another messageboard that I frequent daily and there was a thread titled, “Google your name”. In this thread, folks would google their real names and discuss what came up. So, I googled my name, “J.J. Puorro”. The first few links were blog comments that I’d made somewhere in the Deaflogsphere, then all of sudden I stumbled upon this link:
 http://ncam.wgbh.org/news/mopixnews3.html
 It was an interview I gave to a local paper covering the “Phatom Menance” premire back in 99′. Now first of all, IGNORE the fact that I gave the movie two thumbs up and the fact that I saw it twice 
 What was most interesting about this interview was this excerpt:
 The Van Nuys Boulevard movie theater is one of only three cinemas in the country — the others are in Seattle and Atlanta — offering the captioning and narration equipment that makes first-run movie-going possible for people who are deaf, blind or have impaired hearing or vision.
“We were the first commercial theater in the world to put this in,” said Bill Smith, general manager of the Sherman Oaks cinema, where many people with vision and hearing disabilities came to see “Titanic.”
Wow, only three rearview display theaters were in existence only 8 years ago. Compare this with this link (scroll all the way down):
 http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/nowshowing.html
I am not going to bother counting the number of theaters listed there, but you can see that it’s even in Canada now (see bottom).
And this does not even include open captioned theaters (see ths list here: http://www.insightcinema.org/films_states1.html) .
Then I looked back and remembered that my first open captioned film was “Jurassic Park” in 93′…it had been the first time I went to a movie theater and understood every line since the early 80’s when my mother would interpret films for me (we saw some good ones: The Lost Ark, E.T., Rocky II and III…thanks Mom!). I remember being stoked and fast forward to 99′, I remember being stoked that I could see “Phantom Menance” on the FIRST SHOWING just like everyone else in the country.
 While we aren’t 100% there yet…we should be thankful for the improvement…especially folks like myself and older…. I am happy that we can now have a site like fomdi.com and search for local open captioned films. We have come a long way since then…but I want it to be possible one day that I’ll be able to get up in the morning and just open up the newspaper and tell my wife, “So, what maintee film do you want to see today?” and have to choose from all the films at the local theater….
Will that ever happen? Or will I be dead and buried when it happens?
Topics: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
We signed Adalius Thomas!!!!
By jjpuorro | March 3, 2007
Adalius Thomas highlight video!
Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Uncharted Territorty
By jjpuorro | February 17, 2007
Disclaimer: I simply want to draw on my experience from being a Deafread.com human editor and make some comments about Deafread.com. However, I am making this blog entry independent of my role as a Deafread.com human editor. In no way, does Deafread.com endorse this blog entry.
Hi all,
I watched Aidan Mack’s vlog and read the ensuing comments with great interest. (Link: http://deaffilmblog.blogspot.com/2007/02…) This blog entry is my general response to Aidan’s vlog and the general concerns that have arisen about Deafread.com’s audience and the content found on Deafread.com.
The Internet began to gain wide acceptance and usage in the mid to the late 1990’s. Since then, there have been many Deaf related websites posted up on the Internet. However, prior to 2006, you had to stumble upon these websites either by a search engine or word of mouth. Even during the initial protests last May at Gallaudet, I found myself jumping from DeafDc.com to Ridorlive.com to Elisa Abenchuchan’s Xanga site to Joey Baer’s ASL Vlogsite to McConnell’s site and book marking as many sites as I could. I found all of these sites either by links on each site or by comments made by others. It was not until sometime in the summer of 2006 that Tayler and Jared both had their brilliant idea to ‘centralize’ all Deaf related blogs and news into one place.
(Link: http://jarednevans.typepad.com/blog/2006…)
The first time I ever stumbled upon Deafread.com, I said to myself, “Nice! What a great idea! Thank god someone thought of this!†Then sometime in October when things were starting to heat up at Gallaudet, I thought to myself, “Gee, I hope Deafread.com can keep up.†I then simply shot an E-mail to Tayler and said something to the effect of, “Great job! Do you guys need any help searching for links to post on Deafread.com?†and Tayler told me that it was actually simpler than that and that Deafread.com was an aggregator. Then he said, “I do however need someone on the East coast to help us out early in the morningsâ€. I at first was a bit reluctant because I am simply not a morning person, but at that time I felt it was time for the Deaf community to unite for ‘the greater good’ and decided to do my part. So, I became a human editor.
You see, I have only been doing this for four and half months and that Deafread.com is only about seven months old!!!!! This finally brings me to my point: We are in uncharted territory right now. This has never ever happened before and we all in the Deaf b/vlogsphere are making up history as we go along. Even Jared Evans raised an interesting question a few days ago when he asked about who was the first “true vloggerâ€? We are in the age where we all are too impatient at the ATM machines, get frustrated by dial up Internet (if you even still have it), prefer computer check in kiosks at the airport over standing in a line, and so on. Technology is increasing at an exponential rate. A fast fact: I carried with two hands to college a 25 pound “word processorâ€, then I left college with a six ounce palm pilot in my palm that had 10,000 times more computing power than that bulky thing. Times are changing and ever so rapidly.
By now you should get my point (yes, I ramble sometimes…er..ok..a lot) that we all at Deafread.com are trying to do our best over here centralize deaf related content for a wide audience. We are concerned about the content that we post on Deafread.com and we do try our best to approve specific deaf related content in as a balanced way as we possibly can. In fact, Tayler and Jared are now working on a specific guideline that all human editors can follow to determine what content will be posted at Deafread.com. They are even considering the possibility of Deafead.com for kids someday, but you all need to realize that Deafread.com for kids is not the ONLY IDEA that we have heard of. We get a lot of E-mails from brilliant people with brilliant ideas and we wish we could make them all come to fruition some day, but at the end of the day we are only 6 human beings with full time jobs that do this in their spare time. Tayler and Jared actually do about 85% of the work and the rest of us do about 15% (a rough estimate). They even launched, “Deafread.com Extra†so that you all could see what content we were approving.
As for our audience, to be honest, I have no idea who is reading Deafread.com other than the people who identify themselves in comments or people that I have encouraged to read Deafread.com. This is the primary reason that I decided to be a little “PSE-ish†in my 1st vlog and to also subtitle it. (Trust me, my ASL is better than I showed…just buy me a beer sometime 
) I have even considered starting some sort of a census count for everyone reading/watching in the Deaf b/vlogsphere to determine the audience. Then again, I understand why many prefer to remain anonymous; it’s one of the true rewards of the Internet while also a thorn in its side. Maybe if I can figure out how to list a poll on this blogsite then I could list simple anonymous polls such as ‘male or female?’, ‘ages?’, and so forth. Even if I did so, my results wouldn’t be perfect…there could be multiple voters or people voting for categories they do not belong to or even people that don’t vote. In short (rambling here again, sorry), we will never really know our audience.
Because we at Deafread.com do not know our audience, I believe that we all here at Deafread.com share a personal responsibility to provide ‘reasonable content’. As for what ‘reasonable content’ is, that is an argument that rests on top a very slippery slope. The rule of thumb that I have been using for my content approvals is this: If it’s content could be allowed on Network TV during prime time, I will post this entry. This is all that I can do until specific guidelines are set forth by Tayler and Jared. I really appreciate the fact that Tayler and Jared are proceeding with EXTREME caution. I have never met them in the flesh, but through E-mail correspondence I have found both to be very reasonable people. I am asking you all to be a bit patient because we are truly in uncharted territory here and we need to proceed with caution.
Thanks for reading (if you even made it this far )
-JJ
Topics: Uncategorized | 6 Comments »
It is what it is.
By jjpuorro | February 15, 2007
Welcome to my b/vlogsite!
My name is J.J., which is short for Jerry Jr. and that’s the last time I am gonna tell you that.
A bit about myself, I’m Deaf, 33 years old, married, with a dog & a cat, and a glorified cubicle working gofer. Just your average boring person who decided to launch a b/vlogsite so that he could have a “microphone”. Just beacuse!!!
I am unsure as to what direction I may take with this b/vlogsite, but for starters I’ll start off with a humorous video that I filmed last October in Washington D.C. I’ll post it in the next entry.
As my mortal god, Bill Belichick likes to say, “It is what it is”. For now….:)
-J.J.
Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »