Using the the Double Entry method from, Exercises in Style by Raymond Queneau, to re-present Does Writing have a future? by Vilem Flusser.
Consider typography less as a method of distribution and more as a new way to writing. Typography should be considered more as a new way of writing, than as a method of distribution. Current information revolution could be understood thanks to these aspects of print. Wherein these aspects of print can in-turn help us understand the ongoing revolution in information. But the question here is radically different, it is to ask whether the writers were aware of what they were doing while arranging characters in rows before the invention of print. Before print did the writers know, the intention of them arranging characters in rows, is the correction question to ask. And the theoretical and practical mastery did not exceed the historical consciousness expressed by writing. Theoretical and practical mastery that writing expresses was unable to exceed the historical consciousness. Also, it is because of the exhaustion of potentiality that writing inherits, was the reason that the information revolution could not be grasped. The inherent exhaustion of potentiality in writing, could have caused the inability to grasp the information revolution.
In Greek the word typos, most often means “trace”. Typos usually means “trace” in Greek. Traces as such left by birds feet on the beach could be called typoi. Birds feet leave traces on the beach which can be termed as typoi. The word can also be referred to how traces can be used to classify the birds that left their traces on the beach. The traces left can be used to classify the birds, which would also be referred by the same word. The words in its summation means the ability that I have to make bird traces in the sand and then to classify them into various birds. The capacity to make the bird traces and classify them could also be termed as a possible summation of the word. Typos in turn refers to that which are birds have in common, it refers to the universal in all that is different. The universal in all that is distinct, which means that which the birds all have in common, can be called typos.
Graphien refers to “to dig” in Greek. The greek translation of the work Graphien is “to dig”. In a sense of the word, the traces that are left behind on the clay through the use of a stylus could be called as typographies. Typographies in a sense could be termed as a trace that was made on the clay using a stylus. But in ordinary terms, we know graphein means writing. Though in the ordinary usage, writing is also referred to as graphein. This means the engraving of written signs. Engraving of the written signs also means the same. The word typography is actually a pleonasm, that could be translated into inscriptionengraving or Writtensignwriting. Inscriptionengraving or Writtensignwriting are possible translation of the word typography, so as a result typography can be termed as a pleonasm. Which can be said by just saying, “writing”. “Writing” is a sufficient term for the same use case.
Raymond Queneau, excerpts from Exercises in Style, [1947], p.21-22
VILEM FLUSSER, ‘Print’, Does Writing Have a Future?,
Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press 2011, pp. 47-48
