International Video-conferencing

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
July 9, 2005

Dear SW List Members!
In trying to setup my D-Link videophone, so we can video-conference  
at the SignWriting Symposium in Brussels on July 21-22, I got  
mesmerized by technology and all of the potentials for video- 
conferencing. What an amazing world we live in!

There are two ways for me personally, to teach SignWriting by  
videophone.

1. The D-Link i-2-eye videophone seems to be the most universally  
known equipment now. If there is anyone who would like to ask me  
questions by videophone, and you own a D-Link yourself, then we can  
setup an appointment to call each other. Write to me on email if you  
wish an appointment.

2. For Mac users on Mac OS X Tiger, a new feature is 3-way video  
conferencing built into the operating system of the Mac, if you own  
the iSight Video Camera...I just purchased that iSight camera and I  
plan to set it up today. So for Mac users, we could have group  
learning sessions...to give you an example...I believe that Stuart in  
Iowa, and Shane in Northern Ireland, could call me at the same time  
and we could have a three-way conversation, seeing each other on our  
computer screens in three different windows...wow...

and I bet the Windows operating systems have the same thing?...

Meanwhile, back when I taught in Europe years ago, I had fun  
communicating with Deaf people from different signed languages, in an  
international way, by having time with a person face to face and we  
would get to know each other, and learn each other's signs and then  
communication would temporarily be satisfying...Of course we did not  
learn each other's real signed languages..but it still was a  
wonderful experience. But that kind of international signing takes  
time to learn each other's styles, and on a videophone, it is very  
different. There is not enough time on the videophone to really sit  
and chat for long periods of time and so suddenly we really are  
foreigners with foreign signs to each other...This means that using  
the videophone within your own country, using a signed language  
everyone knows, will be a more satisfying experience...How to bridge  
the international gaps on a videophone is hard...That is why I am  
glad there will be interpreters at the Symposium who can do  
international interpreting on the videophone for us...I just bought a  
fancy microphone with hopes the interpreters will be able to hear me  
well..

Smile...

Val ;-)