Jon Bing

For people named John Byng, see John Byng.

Jon Bing (born 30 April 1944 in Tønsberg, Norway) is a Norwegian writer and law professor at the Norwegian Research Center for Computers and Law (NRCCL), and the Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo. Bing is considered to be a pioneer in international legal information. He holds honorary doctorates from the University of Stockholm and the University of Copenhagen, and is Visiting Professor at Kings College, University of London. Bing is leader of The Protection of Privacy Committee. He has been head of Norsk Filmråd 1979–81, head of Europarådet's Committee on Legal Data Processing 1981–82, head of Norsk kassettavgiftsfond 1983–85 and leader of Norsk kulturråd 1993–2000.

He is a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.[1]

Together with Tor Åge Bringsværd and some other students at the University in Oslo, Jon Bing started the society Aniara, a club for those interested in science fiction, and was often profiled in the media with statements about science fiction. He has brought out several books, both fiction and specialist literature. He debuted with Bringsværd in 1967 the short story collection Around the sun in a circle. Bing has written much fiction, often with good help from his friend Bringsværd.

In recent years Bing has been engaged with many subjects. You can see him on TV when it's the anniversary for the first personal computer in Norway, read his answers on questions on copyright regarding digital media, and you can also meet him at the annual science fiction festival ShadowCon in Oslo. He is very outspoken in media about cases concerning ethics in technology, copyright, and the future in general. Bing is considered to be one of the nerds in the older generation.

His style of writing is calm, and at times dreamy. He writes about people who stand outside ordinary society, but attempt the impossible. In the short story Riestopher Josef from Around the sun in a circle he writes about a boy who can't leave his house due to his skin disease. The short story is about Riestopher who builds himself a spaceship and goes to the sun to capture a sunbeam.

Bibliography

Fiction

References

  1. ^ "Gruppe 6: Rettsvitenskap" (in Norwegian). Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. http://www.dnva.no/c26848/artikkel/vis.html?tid=27643. Retrieved 26 October 2009.