III National Workshop on Alfred Korzybski and his Impact on Language, Communication and Cultural Studies Organized by Balvant

Parekh Centre for General Semantics and other Human Sciences And EFL University, Shillong Centre Cyber-space and Time-binding : Some Thoughts By-----Arzuman Ara EFL University Shillong-22

The cyber space: In our present day world cyberspace is a common phenomenon. It has taken different names and different forms according to the different modes of its use, and its users. As a domain of communication cyber space displays some special features. Some of them can be briefed as: a. It has no verbal language that we use in our day to day life; b. It has a high level of time frame i.e. automated time; c. It is a de-personalised domain; d. It also has a surplus of communication;
e. It has given rise to new type of linguistic registers and digi-language. f. It is a domain which is without any control; it is a space free of legal controls; g. It is not ruled by just self + other set up as in immediate communication;

h. It is an impersonal medium where communicators are invisible.

i.

Cyberspace has even redefined human existence. We often can come across statements such asI am online, therefore, I exist. I twit, therefore, I exist.

The Korzybskian Time-binding :

Korzybski has propounded three levels of binding in life forms, namely, energybinding, space-binding, and time-binding. For our present discussion we need to take a look at the concept of time-binding. For Korzybski time-binding is the transmission of information and knowledge and abstractions from one time to the other. Time-binding differentiates between humans and animals. For Korzybski men are time-binders, through time-binding we know about our past and we can pass our knowledge to the future. Time-binders Each generation, through
symbols, especially language, gains from and builds upon experience of past generations. We learn from each other, and pass on this knowledge. Korzybski called this process time-binding, and considered it important enough to serve as a basis for defining humanity (www.generalsemantics.org)As ever on

growing knowledge symbolizes human development, time-binding becomes the means of it as through more and more knowledge human have continued to improve their condition of living. This signifies a triumph over nature, and mens capability to change themselves over time.
Cyber-space and Time-binding: Cyberspace is apparently a creation of a timeless space. Looking at the cyber-space through Korzybskian concept of time-binding, we can see that the time of cyber-space is bound to dating. Each post or mail mentions the time of posting, for example, emails mentions when they were sent. Similarly, articles mention dates of their posting in the cyber-space. In the cyber-space, there is a continuous flow of words, and so of meanings. As the partners of communication remain invisible, the receivers are free to construct their own meaning/s. Information keeps on passing from one blog to another, from one email to another and so on. This signifies a constant flow of information and knowledge sharing in the cyber-space. This can be seen as transmission of knowledge from a real-time to digi-time, a timeless time or cyber-time. This mode of digitized communication has redefined social relationships. One may dare to say that social relationships are digitized now in the cyber-space. Cyber-space, being comparatively free from different means of surveillance and legal obligations, represents a democratic domain where people can make a voice. In one sense this has made cyber-space polyphonic where allness syndrome of language and meaning is challenged. Here people share their views and knowledge adding more to the process of human development through knowledge-sharing which has been the basis of human development.