FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday 2nd January, 2006
Monday 2nd January, 2006
Announcing the launch of deaf-blogs.com
DEAF BLOGS INITIATIVE, UK is pleased to announce an ambitious drive to bring
the power of Instant Publishing to Deaf people across the world.
deaf-blogs.com is a free aggregator service that gathers content published
by Deaf people from all over the internet. deaf-blogs.com provides a
self-updating list of new newly-published material.The site promotes Deaf
individual expression in text, images, and video to reflect the diversity of
the international Deaf community.
Self-publishing has traditionally been focused on the written word, which
can and has prevented Deaf people from recording their experiences and
traditions. The written word has also offered little interactivity and did
not lend itself to the nuance and grace of sign language, itself a visual
medium. Self-Publishing was often an expensive form of expression and
historical record, with the equipment and software necessary for recording
sign language costing more than the average Deaf person's budget. As a
consequence both experience and tradition have relied much upon the
contemporaneous nature of an oral history which is, otherwise, left
unrecorded.
deaf-blogs.com will be consolidating and promoting content by Deaf people,
encouraging them to express their individuality and their culture using the
various emerging web technologies at their disposal. It will be an online
presence where Deaf voices can be heard.
Alison Bryan, Principal Co-ordinator of the Deaf Blogs initiative notes that
there is a vital need for such a service: "Deaf-blogs.com offers
co-ordination for online Deaf content, and encourages responsibility to
publish their own thoughts, away from deaf organisations. To date much of
online content has been via organisations, which in no way allows autonomy
and empowerment."
As well as providing a portal to new Deaf blog content, the web site offers
support to people looking to create their own online web presence. By
offering practical step-by-step guides to creating and managing a blog or
videolog (see "What can this do for me?" below), we hope to increase the
number of Deaf voices online and publicise greater recognition of their
needs. Jen Dodds, a well known Deaf activist and writer comments: "I hope
deaf-blogs.com means more Deaf people think about self expression via blogs
plus video blogging, and that 2006 sees an explosion online activism through
the creation of Deaf blogs".
What can this do for me?
Blogging is the cultural phenomenon of recent years and a powerful resource
for Deaf people. A blog is a personal web site where a person can share
their thoughts and experiences, and potentially influence the way we think
about the world around us.
Deaf-Blogs offers readers the ability to connect, read and interact with
thousands of blogs from Deaf people around the world (we display a
constantly updating list of blogs). Not only that, but we also provide free
guidance and support to Deaf visitors who want to join the 'blogosphere'.
For BSL users we also support a pioneering form of blogging called Vlogging
(or "videologging") where Deaf people can add filmed content to their blog.
This endeavour has the support of leading internet authorities including
that of renowned social networking commentator, Marc Canter. He says of the
drive toward the preservation and delivery of signed content by
deafblogs.com that: "The world of Deaf people is another great example of
Vlogging being utilized by a particular context. By knowing and understating
who their constituency is, www.deaf-blogs.com will be able to provide
compelling experiences and relevant services to their own Long Tail.".
Notes for Editors
* The website has been developed by Deaf Blogs Initiative, a group led by
activist Alison Bryan working with three leading Deaf technology
specialists: Joseph Gwynne-Jones, Rob Wilks and Ben Fletcher.
* Interviews/more information: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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