I find using a computer much more convenient when the sound's off. However, I must turn it on again when I'm viewing video clips, often from YouTube. The majority of these involve speech as the only crucial audio.
I propose that subtitles be enabled on YouTube clips. These could either be sent in
by the uploader immediately on uploading the clip, or by other users watching it. The subtitles can then appear, if requested, along with the video clip.
This has additional utility beyond the obvious: bilingual users could add a translation to the video, so that foreign users can also understand. People could create joke subtitles with humerous wordings to replace the original dialogue. I'm assuming that there could be several different sets of subtitles that one could enable.
Now everyone (short of the blind) can enjoy the inanity of the web. Hurrah!
EDIT: The transcript could also be included in plain text for the blind to have read to them. Also I gave up with trying to spell, so putted a different word in place of the mistake.