Just read up Paotie’s hilarious and snarky post about his slamming comment on DBC and the negative reactions he attracted. He took issue with DeafRead’s neutrality issue and the ambiguous sentiments of the human editors, possibly reacting to the fallout from John Egbert’s ill-conceived and foolish proposal to DeafRead editors to root out “deficit thinkers” (read: bloggers and posters who doesn’t toe the collective thinking line on all deaf-related issues) from DeafRead. Paotie is under the impression that all or some of the DeafRead editors aren’t really neutral when it comes to certain subjects they may disagree or feel really uncomfortable with coming from few “rabble-rousing” deaf/hoh bloggers. Jared Evan insisted to Paotie that the DeafRead editors are solid on the neutrality policy, aptly re-stated by Taylor Mayer. Though, the above issue is not the point of this blog…
Chewing over the DeafRead guideline to get the gist of the matter, I pondered if the entire purpose of DeafRead is to aggregate blogs that have deaf-related issues or that have buzz words associated with deafness or deaf-related issues for the deaf/hoh community and its supportive parties (CODA, hearies who love the deaf/ASL) and NOT to aggregate blogs from deaf/hoh bloggers who did not adhere to the required DeafRead criteria? Obviously, as I have seen for the past year or so, DeafRead have aggregated many blogs that covered a whole range of deaf-related subjects, ASL and issues pertaining to deaf communities thereabout, including a great number of unrelated blogs coming from the deaf/hoh bloggers, like some of my old blogs and among others. And yet, the implication from the DeafRead guideline suggested that it must be, first and foremost, the aggregator of only deaf-related blogs, with only subjects that must pertain to deaf-related issues as clearly expressed in rule no. 1: deaf-related posts.
In a nutshell: you may blog about any deaf-related subject whether you’re deaf, hard-of-hearing or hearing and get your blog aggregated on DeafRead to be read by all from the deaf community on the Internet. Blogs not related to deaf issues, too bad.
Frankly, that very issue concerned me a bit. I am a deaf blogger. I know a good number of deaf issues and have touched on few important deaf-related subjects before but I am not the only deaf blogger around and I am not able to touch on subjects too numerous, too complex and too mind-boggling for me to blog for the deaf community. If I do, I wouldn’t have a life and somebody would have pry my cold dead hands from the keyboards and declare my sad demise as “death by blogging”. Having said that, there are a lot of deaf bloggers (and vloggers) out there who can touch on subjects that I’m neither qualified nor knowledgeable about and certainly not all of their subjects should have to be deaf-related. I am a blogger who happened to be deaf and I do know some subjects very well that have nothing to do with deaf issues.
The point I’m trying to say is that deaf people can blog about anything. Deaf people are not isolated creatures holed up in their rooms, away from every subject or information or not able to learn anything. They are capable of demonstrating their knowledges on subject-matters by blogging/vlogging about them and they are intellectually enough to opine on anything/anyone or about anything/anyone at all, including some tough, difficult or very sensitive subjects they know well or familiar with. Without doubt, deaf people can do anything like hearing people do: being knowledgeable about something and share their perspective, commentary, feeling or opinion with everyone who can read (or, at least, watch the vlogs) on the Internet. They can blog about the current Election 2008 politics, the war on terror, sky-high oil prices, Britney Spears, the WGA strike, global warming, top-selling books, captioned movies, Ron Paul, foods, life and so on. Anything.
And it does not necessarily have to be any deaf-related issue just because the bloggers are deaf or hard-of-hearing. It does not necessarily mean that all deaf/hoh bloggers and vloggers must adhere strictly to DeafRead’s rule no. 1 if they wish to have their blogs aggregated and published on DeafRead. I would suggest a little clarification to that rule, DR editors. It wouldn’t be a spot of bother, eh?
So, to all deaf/hoh bloggers, blog away. Showcase your knowledge about something other than a deaf-related subject. Show us what you have learn and understand from out there. Show us what you have found and reveal from the Internet. Show us what you wanted to say something about something or someone. Show us your passion and your intelligence. The audience awaits!
Off-topic Brief no. 1: Really liked what I see from NBC tonight: The Celebrity Apprentice. Poor but not-so-bright hottie from Playboy got fired by the Donald. Though, I really dig his hottie daughter. Anyone got her email address?
Off-topic Brief no. 2: Obama won the Democratic caucus while Huckabee swept the Republican caucus tonight in Iowa. Historically, candidates of both parties who won the Iowa caucus did not always win the Presidential nominations for the White House. Hillary Clinton have a much stronger chance of winning the election by November and I can say that’s pretty much a guarantee, even though I’m a republican.
Off-topic Brief no. 3: Global cooling is here. Back in 2004, I already knew that. 
Global warming is, like, so yesterday.
01/03/2008 at 11:15 PM
Exactly my thinking. Shouldn’t have to be all deaf related. But, in DR, it’s kind of mixed. You’ll see some that shows up in regular blog/vlog and you’re like ??? I thought it’s deaf related only then you’l find some deaf related interesting blogs/vlogs in Extra, then you’re scratching your head. Either way, I always check it all out. I’ve seen some good posts in Extras that really should be in the regular blog site.
01/04/2008 at 4:33 AM
It would be interesting if bloggers include their other websites and their businesses in their profiles. It helps us understand where they are coming from in Deaf issues. It also gives us get a feel for how accomplished our fellows can be and inspires us to aim higher.
However, DeafRead is a convenient aggregation of topics around being deaf. It shouldn’t be burdened with non-deaf topics and make the reader sort through them to find the truly Deaf-related issues. There are other aggregators for those topics.
01/04/2008 at 7:58 AM
Yeah, I feel the same way. I have read some deaf vloggers listed in DR Extra, the story is off-topic and not Deaf-related, but showing ASL skills, is Deaf-related in “picture” in vlog? It puzzled myself since ASL is foreign sign language… Can hearing want to care about learning ASL?
01/04/2008 at 11:49 AM
Huh?
DeafRead isn’t saying Deaf bloggers can’t blog about any topic. You can blog about anything. And subscribers (via RSS or whatever) to your site will see and read all your blogs entries.
But that doesn’t mean that DeafRead should carry that particular blog entry. People go to DeafRead to read or view blog/vlog entries about Deaf-related topics.
Imagine if MacSurfer.com (an Apple/iPod/iPhone site) posted links to all blog posts by people who had in interest in Macs–even blog posts that had nothing to do with Macs. Would that make any sense? Of course not.
Same thing with DeafRead. The blog posts there should only have to do with Deaf topics. That’s the whole point.
Rob’s follow-up: Please re-read my post. DeafRead rule no. 1 needed to be clarified. The whole point of my blog is that the deaf can blog/vlog about anything other than any deaf-related subject and DeafRead is the only known site that the deaf community goes to check out the latest blogs or vlogs aggregated and published in DeafRead on an hourly/daily basis, without having using a search engine or filling up bookmarks of deaf blogs in their browsers. Not everyone in the deaf community is always particularly interesting in only deaf-related subjects in DeafRead, they would like to read interesting takes from DEAF bloggers or vloggers on other subjects not pertaining to deaf issues. It would show the worldwide, hearing audience that deaf people are knowledgeable of certain subjects (politics, sports, entertainment, whatever) and blog about it, other than blogging deaf-related subjects just because they happened to be deaf? Just being deaf make you an expert in all deaf-related subjects only?? Hmm? I don’t know if DeafRead editors would be willing to clarify their criteria or not. Thank you for your comment.
01/04/2008 at 12:54 PM
First of all, I really enjoy your blog in many ways with your kind of writing and thoughts.
I kinda find Paotie’s blog “thought-provoking”. I don’t know why some people make big fuss out of Paotie’s blog. Just let it slide by and keep an open mind than attempt to “conformize” the deaf blogsphere in name of “deaf unity” and fear what the hearing society at large think about us as a whole deaf community.
I want to make following comments on your “related non-deaf topics”. I am in total agreement with you what the DeafRead should broaden its definition of what we really could do or not, etc.
I also had such a difficulty of writing “only-deaf topics”. Ridor aka Ricky Taylor of “RidorLive” managed to get away with numerous non-deaf topics thru his own personal insights.
Oh, I see that you are panting over Donald Trump’s daughter. I am gay myself. I agree with you how good-looking she is.
Unfortunately, I do not know any cell phone number or text address of Donald’s daughter. I am out of touch with the hearing NYC society for many years. I am sure that you will manage to get her e-addy someday. Wish you all the good luck with Donald’s daughter. Go bagging her or have a romance with this lady.
I would love to know if Donald Trump have any prejudices toward deaf people in his bones or not.
I never seen “The Celebrity Apprentices” tv show so far. Tiffany Fallon, Playboy’s Playmate of the Year 2005 and Miss Georgia USA 2001, got booted out of the show. At least, Ms. Fallon had a good heart to root for the charity of the “Walter Reed Society” to help out devastated military soliders at the Walter Reed facility in Northwest Washington, DC.
I strongly disagreed with your assumption about Hillary’s so-called electability for the 2008 general election. I am a registered independent myself, but heavily acquainted with the Democratic side. I have been once employed for the Republican U.S. Senator in the early 1990s.
I really hope that Michael Bloomberg will enter into the 2008 presidential race as a moderate as compared to Barack Obama’s secretive liberal agenda and Mike Huckabee’s questionable leadership abilities and ethical issues along with his “white trash” presence.
Interesting note about Dr. Oley Sorkhtin’s scientific disseration on the incoming global cooling. He is with the Russian Academy of Natural Science as a merited scientist.
Many of us already know that the nowaday’s oceans are too aciditic for many life forms. The ############ give us, humans the responsibility of good stewardship of Mother Earth (I am an atheist myself, but kinda little agonistic in some ways).
Putin’s Russia would greatly benefit from the global coolings due to substantial oil presence in her underneath soils. Russia or China probably will invade Alaska someday. Who knows?
I hardly bother to check out the DeafRead Extras. Many thanks for your tip about the DeafRead Extras.
The DeafRead policy already emphasize on the ban of “flaming wars”, but kinda little vague and general of what we could do in our DeafRead blogsphere, etc.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
01/04/2008 at 12:58 PM
I did type A l m i g h t y G o d which somewhat get bleeped. The word of A l m i g h t y G o d is not offensive or profane.
Probably with the Net Nanny program on my computer use.
RLM
01/04/2008 at 1:18 PM
Of course I know ALL Deaf v/bloggers have life other than talking about being Deaf. And they all have interests other than Deaf-related (well, hopefully
).
Being surrounded by both Deaf and hearing people all my life, I see the tendency to avoid indepth Deaf-related philosophical and political discussions. If there was any discussion, its usually negative criticism of Deaf people. I now realize its related to the Oralism colonialism that Harlan Lane and Paddy Ladd and others have recently pointed out in Deaf Studies circles.
Also, I’ve seen the huge disparency between perceived status of languages (written English and “spoken” ASL) used in those debates as well as in general education for Deaf children.
One effect of colonialism is the destruction of confidence by Deaf people to have high level of discourse and exploration in politics and arts. Colonialism fortunately left alone our amazing wealthy of organizing and decision making skills in area of athletics/sports. But then the nature of sports isn’t very political so its safer for the “colonialists” to leave alone.
Damaging confidence in arts and politics that require deeper level of thinking makes it easier to control a people for monetary and power exploitation. We see high number of inept ASL users and hearing people with no or limited understanding and commitment to ASL and Deaf culture in Deaf fields making decisions for (and bad assumptions about) Deaf people.
We see corporation greed in pushing marketing of hearing devices feeding off public fears and ignorance of “communication problems”.
And there’s practically no arena for open dialogue about Deaf issues that do not distract us with the huge amount of non Deaf topics until DeafRead. Before that, there were “Deaf or ASL news” that intentionally avoids Deaf topics but reports world news in ASL or like some say it “simlified English”. Yes there re plenty of places Deaf peple like you can go to talk about non Deaf related issues.
DeafRead serves a purpose although due to the effects of the Oralism colonialism, we see some struggles about what it means to be “neutral” as hearing “politics” mean it to be.
I don’t agree 100% with where DeafRead is heading with the criticism about “neutrality” etc biut I see its been healthy altho rough at times and I pray it results in big steps forward in Deaf people’s Deafhood journeys.
Hope I make sense. If not, sorry, English isn’t my 1st language.
01/04/2008 at 3:23 PM
What happened to my previous comment posting, Robert?
I strongly disagree with your forecast of Hillary Clinton’s electability in the presidential 2008 general election.
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog
Rob’s follow-up: Calm down, buddy.
As for your disagreement. That’s fine, you’re entitled to disagree with my implication about HRC’s electability, but most electoral observers and even critics acknowledged that HRC could have a much stronger chance of winning the election due to powers/money connections, aggressive and savvy campaign veterans (some who had worked on Bill Clinton’s re-election campaign in ’96), and a certain increasingly influential and powerful ex-President who have the world that lent its ears to him. The first three months of 2008 will be a very crucial period for all those involved in the campaign for the White House, including HRC. I might be wrong but we’ll see.
01/04/2008 at 5:15 PM
Ella, thank you for your interesting perspective.
01/04/2008 at 5:18 PM
I agree with you, Rob, that DeafRead should allow non-deaf related topics– as long as they’re written by d/Deaf bloggers or by those directly involved in the deaf community primarily. It gives the hearing readers a glimpse into the deaf world and they can see we think much like they do on other topics besides deaf-related topics.
Mike McConnell’s blog, for example, has touched on environmental, scientific and political issues in addition to deaf issues. Deaf bloggers shouldn’t be restricted by what subject matter they wish to discuss.
01/05/2008 at 11:45 AM
Interesting.
My contention with DeafRead has less to do with deaf-related issues and more along the lines of the “editors” contradicting themselves left and right. One editor compared friction between groups on DeafRead comparable to war and suggested people “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Another editor said that context was inappropriate.
And plus, it apparently requires 3 editors to make a statement. What many bloggers already know is that DeafRead has problems with its picking up of some blogs/articles. They ain’t even “editors,” either – they’re simply screeners.
How hard is it to screen articles and blogs, anyway? If they’re so swamped and so busy and so hectic and la la la la .. they might want to add .. ohhh .. say, Deaf Pundits to the “editorial” board at DeafRead.
I said DeafRead’s neutrality was suspect. I didn’t accuse them of bias like one editor complained. There’s a big difference.
)
Paotie
01/05/2008 at 12:02 PM
Thanks for clarifying the issue, Paotie. Tayler was referring to a quote by a character from the movie, “The Godfather”.