UKC

Programmer activist's suicide

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 Gudrun 10 Feb 2013
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/128464

Was this tragic suicide a case of 'bullying' by the prosecutors? and was Aaron Swartz correct in his mission to 'counter-attack against the way in which "the world's entire scientific and cultural heritage" is "increasingly being digitised and locked up by a handful of private corporations."?.
 Reaver2k 10 Feb 2013
In reply to GudrunEnsslin:

Having read many articles on the subject, I would have to conclude that the governments heavy hand definitely had a significant role in this young minds death. His girlfriend recently wrote an article on the months leading to his death:

http://tarensk.tumblr.com/post/42260548767/why-aaron-died

Many of his friends who were involved in trying to protect him from the prosecution have also spoken out in great detail about the events leading to his death. It should definitely be noted that JSTOR had settled the civil case in 2011 and requested for the case to be dropped. Carmen Ortiz and Steve Heymann then picked up the case and tried to put him in prison for 35 years. If this isn't heavy handed I don't know what is.
 pebbles 10 Feb 2013
In reply to Reaver2k: Heavy handed, cynical and vindictive.
 LaMentalist 10 Feb 2013
In reply to GudrunEnsslin:

Have to say that I admire/d Aaron Swartz's commitment to what he believed & the fact that he did something ( many things ) about it . It seems too many of us are so wrapped up in our own little lives to care or actually do much about some of our rights which it seems are being secretly taken from us day by day , myself included .

And what I've read about Ortiz the prosecutor just reinforces my not so favourable views on many prosecutors who represent the powers that be & the big corps .

I'm not sure if Mr Swartz was correct in his mission but I respected his conviction at the time , and he believed that he was doing the right thing which counts for a lot in my humble .
OP Gudrun 10 Feb 2013
In reply to GudrunEnsslin:

Its such a tragedy considering this extremely talented young man was fighting for something that will end up being adopted eventually.Why shouldn't we who pay for publicly funded scientific research have to pay again to see it?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2012/may/16/system-profit-access-res...

I just hope the petition handed in to the White house for the removal of the prosecutor Stephen Heymann from his post does not fall on deaf ears.
^^^^^^^^^^ All of this ^^^^^^^^^^^

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