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I know automated transcription/captioning has come a long way in the past 20 years, but there's still a long way to got still. A few months ago I was watching an old episode of GBBO where the captioning rendered 'lemon curd' as 'lemon turd', definitely a different flavor profile but kind of funny. Recently I was viewing an automated transcription of fan interview that offered 'vein collection' for 'zine collection'. So, automated is getting there, but hasn't quite arrived yet.
This brought me to wonder about captioning and fan events like convention panels. The innovation of virtual or hybrid cons has really been great to people who cannot or choose not to attend events where large groups of people are gathered. One of my first forays into this world was the 2020 New Zealand Worldcon. Even with the time zone differences, this was a novel way to connect to fans across the world in the depth of the pandemic and I had a great time.
The novelty has worn off a bit, but it's become a staple in my fannish schedule. But I was wondering recently how well the automated captioning really works. I have a family member who has a hard time in crowded spaces, like restaurants, in following conversations and can't watch tv without the captions. I wonder if a virtual convention with captions on panels would be a possibility to spend shared family time in a meaningful way.
This brought me to wonder about captioning and fan events like convention panels. The innovation of virtual or hybrid cons has really been great to people who cannot or choose not to attend events where large groups of people are gathered. One of my first forays into this world was the 2020 New Zealand Worldcon. Even with the time zone differences, this was a novel way to connect to fans across the world in the depth of the pandemic and I had a great time.
The novelty has worn off a bit, but it's become a staple in my fannish schedule. But I was wondering recently how well the automated captioning really works. I have a family member who has a hard time in crowded spaces, like restaurants, in following conversations and can't watch tv without the captions. I wonder if a virtual convention with captions on panels would be a possibility to spend shared family time in a meaningful way.
