listen i dont love when people get preachy or write long thinkpieces on this site but this has seriously been bugging me. IF YOURE WRITING SUBTITLES FOR A VIDEO, MAKE THOSE SUBTITLES JUST A TRANSCRIPT OF WHAT IS SAID IN THAT VIDEO. i know it sounds obvious, but i see this so often that i need to address it. Deaf or hard of hearing people, people with auditory processing problems, or honestly just nondisabled people who prefer subtitles, use subtitles as a way to know what is being said in the video. this is not the platform for your commentary. i was watching a videogame playthrough, and four of my absolute pet peeves all showed up at once (pushing me over the edge to make this post lmao), so here’s what not to do
....spoil the video?? like i hate jumpscares but if you want to warn people, many people check the comments for timestamps they can avoid. the captions of the video is not the place. you just ruined the immersion of everyone watching.
share your reaction to the video. like. sorry u cant see it?? why did you feel the need to share this with every person trying to know what the youtuber is saying in this video. like not to be a bitch but we dont care, you know?
insert your own opinions into the video. dude. this ISNT your video. we watch this to hear what the person behind the camera has to say, their opinions or reactions. dont “argue” with them in the captions? comment it or tweet it if you really feel like his opinion on color theory is so off base. hes not gonna see this anyways
this is the big one. people love to put their own little jokes about what is being said in the captions...this is often the most accurate to the actual audio transcript, but is also by far the most widespread. i would be lying if i said that no sarcastic comment, joke, or weird way of typing the words has ever made me laugh. ive seen a lot of people celebrate this going “XD TURN ON THE SUBTITLES!!!” about whatever cheeky remark is in there. but you really just have to try to understand....this just makes the subtitles a more hostile environment for people who need them. when watching a video, you are supposed to be able to scan the subtitles quickly, absorb what they are saying, and focus on the video, and these sorts of things are often distracting in a way that pulls you out of the video. its bad that i have to use this example, but i know some people won’t understand bc the video is in a language they understand easiliy and can hear what the person is saying....so, pretend you are watching an anime with subtitles. if you were trying to watch but all the subtitles were like “i hate you!! *uwu little dumb noises like a lost puppy hehe*” you wouldnt be able to follow it nearly as easily, right?? subtitles are a great resource but unless people start taking them seriously its really not going to get better. we are watching bc we want to see the CONTENT OF THE VIDEO. nothing more. again, please, just use the comments section to tell your joke. i promise people will appreciate it