BSL translation coming soon.

Jonny Nelson raised an interesting point on Deaf UK about vlogs, and what he says shows exactly how little is known about blogging generally, particularly among the Deaf community.

The first point I’d like to make is that all my vlogs are actually on my blog, and you do not need to go to YouTube to access them. YouTube just makes it easier for people to display vlogs on their blogs.

Secondly, all 2,500 DUK members do not actually need to trawl the web looking for vlogs. There is something called RSS feeds that makes it easier for everyone to keep track of blogs. Most people I know use Bloglines (www.bloglines.com); when you set up an account, you can add hundreds of RSS feeds so that it becomes a one-stop shop for reading blogs. You can view mine here.

You’ll probably recognise a few blogs there. You can also add e-groups like Videoblogging to bloglines, removing the need for emails altogether. For you to really understand RSS, I would strongly encourage you to set up an account with bloglines.

For more information about RSS, check this out.

Of course, there are also websites like:

Deaf Blogs – This is UK based, and the first Deaf aggregator. Note this website currently looks awful – it is undergoing a major revamp and should be re-launched at the start of June.

Deaf Read – a USA-focused aggregator, which is moderated.

Deaf Read Deutsch – this is a German aggregator

Deaf Pulse – this is not strictly a blog aggregator, but it pulls news from various sources. This is also USA-based.

These are called “aggregators”, which “pull” together all the blogs that have been submitted (using their RSS feeds), and display them in one place. This means you can browse through the posts, and click on the links to read the post in full.

There are other things you can do with blogs, if you want more detail read this post.

Thirdly, you shouldn’t assume that only a tiny fraction of people will read your blog. Grumpy Old Deafies (http://www.grumpyoldeafies.com/) gets 19,000 visits a month (with 70,000 hits a month). These people choose to visit, and are not, for example, defunct e mail addresses.

To sum up, what are the advantages of blogging/vlogging?

1) You have wider exposure to the world at large;
2) It is not restricted to English, and can include sign languages (no language barrier);
3) You can network internationally with Deaf people; and
4) You are not subject to group dynamics. As you own the blog, you take responsibility for the quality of your content.

Hope this post has given you all some food for thought.