Harold asks :

"Is video becoming the/a new literacy? " (Don't think so)

"Are we returning to our oral past after three thousand years?" (We never left it)
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When we become more predominantly oral or "sensory" we are not really moving towards the past. Oral is more entrenched in us. Senses even more. "Written word" is less entrenched.

We are clearly moving away from the "press printed word" and its linearity. But, we are not moving back to oral. It always was there although it wasn't VALUED, reinforced, or taught in a world where its cheaper to convey messages by mass produced print.

Litteracy, for the past many year, has been closely defined to our capacity to mass produce for the printed press and our capacity to use the output of the printed press.

Capacity to produce (Write press compatible items). Capacity to use (Read press compatible items).

In a "printed" world, a musician that can't write press ready music (sheet) or can't read is devalued.

The efficiency of the press and the old physical distribution network is being replaced by the electronic message and a new propagation network.

The new litteracy (we shouldn't call it litteracy anymore), will be our capacity to produce and use results from this new mode of production. Its a "valuation" thing.

So, in this perspective, one could say that video would not be the new litteracy. Well, not more than reading comic books would have been the new litteracy.

I don't totally agree with my own statement. So nice to me non-linear.