In Flusser’s, “Does Writing Have a Future?” he discusses what sets writing apart from other forms of communication. Over time writing has become less and more obsolete but this does not mean it any less of importance in bringing this world to what it is now. Our writing allows us to have a history by creating a dimension so that time does not have to move in circles. Flusser also presents the idea of historical or writing consciousness by saying that it allows for ideas to be circulated and be pused forward. Flusser says, “This feedback between those who write and historical consciousness lends that consciousness a rising tension that enables it to keep pushing forward. That is the dynamic of history” (p. 8). Writing has allowed for ideas circulated by individuals to create social dynamic. Before print and writing there was no record of history and events. Ideas were dead from the beginning.

History is part of writing and how history itself has been established. And like history writing changes through time. Flusser discusses different consciousness of types and how they were affected. First Flusser says print gives examples of immortal pieces of paper but that adapt and are changed. He also talks about printed objects themselves are not independent of themselves but a type. Print creates and circulates new ideas but also creates new history. Flusser says print, “…leads to a new mode of thought that can be anticipated but not yet perceived” (p. 53). Print created progress but also contributed to historical consciousness.

Another example of historical consciousness evolving has been within the newspaper. Flusser talks about how the newspaper workers came together and worked with photographers in a way that books were not being presented. This allowed for, “…newspaper staff writers with their historical consciousness are distinguished from book and letter writers only by the medium newspaper” (Flusser, 114) and create new ideas and forms of presentation for readers. This also allowed for a different message to be presented all together.

For the rising digital frame, like the newspaper, digital presentation allows for the reader to see the message in a new light so that the reader think about it in a different way. Only after the newspaper since then are we able to include more images and allow for readers to become more visual over time. Flusser concludes that, “Digital thinking will triumph much more quickly” (p. 146). Although the twentieth century allowed for distribution of images the digital creates an atmostphere for quicker thinking.

A few things I was confused about was the definition of programming on page 56. I am not sure how this helped and defined Flusser’s argument. I was also confused about the definition of literary consciousness on page 61. I do not know what Flusser meant when including this term.