171–180 of 583 posts
Aaron, you should have not done that .. I'm sure thousands of people of this community would have fought for you to get you out of your problems .. your contributions will always be remembered .. it's just so sad ..
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I wouldn't even call it a 'white collar crime'. It was downloading some scientific papers, which the site didn't really care about. White collar crime is like Bernie Madoff.
True, I didn't realize white collar crime had a financial motivation. So, it was even less serious than that.
I mostly don't believe what Aaron did was a crime at all. If it was wrong, it was a civil tort against JSTOR or JSTOR's authors, who declined to give a shit (and I suspect most authors in JSTOR would support him). If it was a crime, it was a very minor crime -- not a 35 year federal felony.
I'm sad Aaron is gone, and angry he didn't fight this to the end. He probably could have won, or at least ended up with a suspended sentence or something like that, and this could have been a catalyst for reform of copyright laws (if not general laws, the scientific-papers-created-with-government-funding laws).
Aaron suffered from a brain disorder. He had documented periods of extreme withdrawn depression and others of mild manic productivity. Because of that brain disorder, perhaps because it was not attacked with the requisite treatment, he is dead. If you or a loved one are ever feeling suicidal, depressed, or are acting abnormally erratic, contact an expert. It's nothing to be ashamed about. It's just a lottery of genet…
Perhaps he's suffered from clinical depression? http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/verysick
I've known a couple of people hit really hard by ME (it takes years out of their lives and they are constantly ill and unable to live fully), and depression follows the reality of ME... not the other way around.
http://www.meresearch.org.uk/information/whatisme.html
Both of the people I know who has ME started charting their physical state and comfort/discomfort of various bodily systems over time to try and gain a deeper insight and desperately seek some handling mechanism. Even though migraines, aches and pains were the initial symptoms, their own charts showed the upset stomach, cramps, etc being the dominant constant.
Both ended up very depressed from it... and that was without any external pressures being introduced.
It's easy to deride suicide but fact of the matter is that it is the final but a very powerful option we have at our disposal. Instead of saying that a particular person should not have committed suicide, our hope should be that if a suicide happens, it is well thought through and is not done in haste. If a particular person decides that decades of painful life is much worse than simply ending the existence, who are…
What you are saying makes some sense if and only if it's a choice done NOT out of mental illness - ie. depression This news is horrifying and only sadness to me, I don't think it was a healthy choice. We really need to address the stigma of depression in this country and make it easy and painless to ask for help. That help should be free and readily available.
I don't think suicide is the answer, but I can at least see the point of view; after all, I could've seen myself going down the same path, if I hadn't figured out how to cope.
Man this so sucks. If you hit someone with enough felony counts sooner or later something can snap. This in response to those that claim the DOJ didn't have anything to do with Aaron killing himself. For some people the mere fact of being suspected of a crime they didn't commit is enough to push them over the edge. When you're placed in a holding cell the police will remove your laces from your boots so you don't han…
> If you hit someone with enough felony counts sooner or later something will snap. Can we stop the speculations until we actually know what happened? :-(
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Can we not know who exactly (their faces/names etc.) were the people working in the "US Attorney Office" bent to indict him? It's easy for people to term it was not JSTOR, it was the Attorney Office but ultimately these things happen only because people forget how to treat other people properly.
Presumably DOJ doesn't flip coins to decide which cases to handle as there is considerable time, money and other resources involved in each case. It would be interesting to know how much political and lobbying interests influence those prosecutions. I could not find anything of substance on this topic. JSTOR can of course officially deny everything, but other publishers, along with MPAA would probably have a vested i…
Yes, it would be interesting to learn more about whatever behind the scenes machinations may have taken place here.
Clearly, he was made an example of. I suspect, however, that the "who, why, how" will only much later - if ever - come to light.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
What you are saying makes some sense if and only if it's a choice done NOT out of mental illness - ie. depression This news is horrifying and only sadness to me, I don't think it was a healthy choice. We really need to address the stigma of depression in this country and make it easy and painless to ask for help. That help should be free and readily available.
As someone who's suffered from mental illness for most of his life, I disagree. While I have things largely under control these days, it had nothing to do with the professional help that was offered/forced on me; in fact, it was a huge impediment. Receiving help is not a panacea, and I can't blame anyone who's dealt with it for a long time for completely lacking hope. I don't think suicide is the answer, but I can at…
Other comments like "What a waste" and "This didn't need to happen" are borderline insulting. Whether someone realizes it or not, those are incredibly disrespectful comments.