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Aaron Swartz commits suicide

tech.mit.edu

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Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#341

Post by zatara »

CodeMage wrote: post #327
zatara wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If anyone is still in doubt about how the DOJ impacted Aaron's life, it may be interesting to have a look at his last published blog post ( http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/tdk , discussion on http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5047421 ). Aaron makes a parallel between the Batman movie and his own struggles, highlighting the corruption of the system and how the Joker was actually the only "sane" person in an insane wor…

The conclusion about the Joker reminded me of this: http://thisorth.at/24yt

Thanks for posting, amazing read.

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#342

Post by jakerocheleau »

rdtsc wrote: post #76
bpdthrow wrote: post #45

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 He had documented periods of extreme withdrawn depression and others of mild manic productivity.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…

> Troubles with the justice department don't alone cause a bright young man to kill himself. A potential to spend a longer part of his life than he has already lived in prison, will probably have a serious impact on anyone's mental state.

This, seriously. People need to stop excusing the federal government for the monster that it really is. Yes Aaron was depressed, do you really think the DoJ had absolutely nothing to do with that? I'd argue their constant indictments had a lot to do with it.

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#344

Post by mscarborough »

mtrimpe wrote: post #333
pinaceae wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

oh aren't you special. http://xkcd.com/610/

Damn you're insensitive. You should be ashamed of yourself. And to the OP: If you're still young (under 25) I'm pretty sure you'll do fine eventually. If not, you're probably doing fine already...

Insensitive? Sure.

But the OP is just so over the top. No point in suggesting he get real help because he's already exposed those frauds! He's got it all figured out.

'probably doing fine already' is about the last thing we should be responding with here. What happens at 25 that makes mental illness irreversible? Younger than 25, you just get over it?

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#346

Post by uptown »

misnome wrote: post #226
jacques_chester wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've thought of suicide. Not "seriously," but it's crossed my mind. If it happens again, get help. I'm quite serious.

Some of the first sensible advice I've read in this thread. I'm slightly disgusted by the sheer quantity of comments on how suicide can be "right" and how he was "pushed into it". Suicide is never, never the answer, it can just seem like it sometimes when you are very, very low.

"Suicide is never, never the answer, it can just seem like it sometimes when you are very, very low."

How about when someone is facing a terminal disease in constant pain with no prospect for improvement? My opinion is that someone in that condition should have that choice.

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#347

Post by lttlrck »

corporalagumbo wrote: post #284
jacques_chester wrote: post #264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The real issue here I would say is that you seem to have worked yourself up into a bit of a soul-saving frenzy, It's graceless of me. Oh noes, I might seem like a wanker who wants to help people. > but your efforts are misplaced and frankly not appreciated. By you. > I would suggest you shift your efforts to a forum where people are actually starkly discussing hopelessness and self-destruction, rather than just bri…

You seem pretty upset. I think you should try and relax. Take a break from the computer. Go get some fresh air. I'm sorry if I pushed your buttons but I do think you are over-reacting. Nobody on Hackernews is going to hurt themselves any time soon, okay?

Given the context of this discussion that's insensitive and very presumptive. It's you that needs to step away from the computer.

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#348

Post by emperorcezar »

rdtsc wrote: post #92
krzyk wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did any of the employees of US Attorney Office forced him (like putting a gun to a head of one of his loved ones) to do it? It was his own choice to end his life.

> Did any of the employees of US Attorney Office forced him No, but they absolutely chose to prosecute him to the fullest. They also I am guessing didn't do it randomly. Some decision went into it. If you look at a post above, even the original journal (at least "officially") lost interest, someone, a cog in the DOJ, for whatever reason (I assume, political) must have said "pedal to the metal with this one". Here is…

There are people out their who through their own greed destroyed the economy. They will not be prosecuted. Hell, no one will even give them a talking to.

Threaten someone's profit model, and you go to prison though.

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#349

Post by bongs »

How Google (and we) encourage suicide:

The first link to "suicide" search results (https://www.google.com/search?q=suicide) to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide which unfortunately has "Reasons" & "Methods" before "Prevention" and has no mention of why you shouldn't commit suicide.

At the bottom of the first page of the results, the first related search is "suicide methods" http://imgur.com/7lJ02

Further search for "suicide methods" results in the following first three links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_methods

http://wantdeath.blogspot.in/2011/07/fastest-and-painless-su...

and

http://frater.com/suicidelist.html

There is no mention of why suicide is bad and it just gives the depressed person a way to end his/her life.

I don't blame only Google, but I think the entire web & the web community (with SEO, SEM, etc) contributes a lot for this disaster.

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#350

Post by pinaceae »

Gigablah wrote: post #332
pinaceae wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

oh aren't you special. http://xkcd.com/610/

Perhaps ironically, you exhibit the same behaviour as parodied in the comic.

by responding to a 'my god i am so special, no one is like me' post with a simple webcomic that succinctly points out that this is laughably wrong I am myself exhibiting the same behavior?

interesting piece of logic.

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