Google recently added closed captions to select videos. The captioned videos include not only educational material (as I'd expect), but also news, cultural, and entertainment videos. It's a small sample now. I'd like to see their collection grow. Captioning obviously benefits users who have difficulty hearing, but also benefits users who don't have or don't want sound enabled on their computers. This silent approach to watching videos is appropriate for public or shared settings, such as workplaces, schools, or libraries. Users in these settings won't need to worry about having headphones available or disrupting others around them. Captions, if they're stored as related text, may provide improved search methods for video content. Instead of searching on metadata, we could search the full transcript of each video. Plus, it has other side benefits, such as foreign language education. Being able to hear what is spoken and see its written equivalent on the screen reinforces comprehension and appeals to both auditory and visual learners. Closed captions are a good thing for many reasons, and I'm happy to see a major company like Google support it.
