The list is certainly utilized is all genres of written language. As a writing culture, we use lists to serve utilitarian purposes (such as checklists or grocery lists) or to convey facts or other criterion based information (ie. list of US presidents or list of entrance requirements for university). I think that the use of headings and categories also applies to “seemingly simplistic writing forms” that are significant. The ability of writing cultures to make “black and white” of information, facts, ideas etc. is something that I suppose would be the evolution of Ong’s assertion that orality requires mnemonics or other recall formulas. In the case of a writing culture, lists, headings and categories are not for the purpose of recall but rather for the purpose of making sense of multiple items.
In terms of what significant oral forms we might have lost… I thought tonight, as I listened to my dad rattle on and on about his childhood and that of my grandparents, that our society has lost some of the ability to “tell a good story”. The written form, especially in academic settings, is just that, academic in style, content and purpose. Much of what we read (ie. in the newspaper, in work related publications etc.) is critical or informative or analytical but without the context of a story. Of course, we live in a world where fiction is prevalent but it is just that, fiction. Much of the oral tradition of storytelling is lost and no amount of biographies or non-fiction stories can totally replicate that. A&E, Biography etc. have taken storytelling to a multimodal level on television but to actually listen to a detailed, meaningful story based on experience or generational retelling… I don’t think it is as prevalent or valued as it once was. I believe Ong mentioned something about looking at how societies educate their young and the fact is that we do not use oral storytelling as part of education, rather, we rely on the voice of text. Perhaps we need to make a LIST of oral forms lost or marginalized!