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Aaron Swartz commits suicide

tech.mit.edu

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Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#351

Post by mylittlepony »

alan_cx wrote: post #245
rohamg wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is right. I'm shocked at the "suicide apologists" in this thread.

I'm shocked at "life bullies". Which lets face it is a Christian rule, and not applicable to all people. I would like to die right now. I'm just too cowardly. There is no simple switch to do it quickly and painlessly. No way to stop others being upset. No way to stop others discovering something that may scar them. I do not wish to mess up others. Why? I simply do not belong. I don't understand the human race at all,…

Have you considered staying here just to see what happens next in the world? To me, it's kind of like a movie that I can't (don't want to) stop watching, even if I'm falling asleep and want to go to bed. I'm not sure it will end before I die, but it is possible and I wanna see it (I would love seeing a zombie apocalypse. But I would settle for another biological or nuclear one too). And if it does not end, at least I wanna see how far we get. Maybe I will live to see the colonization of Mars or something.

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#352

Post by wheels »

jacquesm wrote: post #243
wheels wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It really rubs me the wrong way when something like this happens and folks jump to conclusions as you have here. You didn't know this person. For all we know he could have not given two shits about the whole legal process and this is linked to family or relationship problems or long term general depression.

> You didn't know this person. That's an assumption on your part. And this was in response to people jumping to completely different conclusions, for instance that these things are not related at all. I wouldn't be so quick to make that call. Maybe you feel like arguing this line with his mom? : http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5047398

To be clear -- I'm totally fine with people who knew Aaron well commenting on these matters. I did in fact assume that was not the case and apologize if I was wrong there.

I guess my rub is two-fold:

- The visible portion of public figures lives is only a fraction of the complete picture, and extrapolating from that visible portion rubs me the wrong way.

- These things are complex. As another commenter noted, suicide rarely has a single reason. (And I think we put labels on these things mostly for ourselves; it's easier to cope when there's an label to pin onto a tragedy.)

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#353

Post by bane »

In his young life Aaron demonstrated that he wanted the world to have knowledge, ethics and community. I think the best way we can honor his legacy is to carry those things forward as best we can.

RIP Aaron

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#354

Post by tesmar2 »

konstruktor wrote: post #251
jacquesm wrote: post #159

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…

Aaron Swartz did something he knew was morally right but very probably illegal in some way, and, him being a prodigy, I'm very confident he was aware of this. It is called activism, and is a very brave and noble thing to do, something most people don't have the guts for. Governments often try to break activists who threaten their agenda (or in this case, that of a dying industry), and it seems they have succeeded wit…

This is terrible news, but, not knowing much about the case, how was it morally right to download a bunch of pay-for documents?

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#356

Post by polarix »

tesmar2 wrote: post #354
konstruktor wrote: post #251

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aaron Swartz did something he knew was morally right but very probably illegal in some way, and, him being a prodigy, I'm very confident he was aware of this. It is called activism, and is a very brave and noble thing to do, something most people don't have the guts for. Governments often try to break activists who threaten their agenda (or in this case, that of a dying industry), and it seems they have succeeded wit…

This is terrible news, but, not knowing much about the case, how was it morally right to download a bunch of pay-for documents?

This is the sum total of human academic knowledge. It must be freed. The first tragic thing was that he failed to torrent it immediately. Now this. A great loss.

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#357

Post by DanBC »

madaxe wrote: post #156
jacques_chester wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't mean to seem rude, but please, seek help. This doesn't sound like a healthy way to think and feel.

I value my freedom and clarity of mind far more than I do some subjective "happiness", induced by drugs or lengthy stays in facilities, as is the normal treatment for depressive disorders in the UK. The system is not there to help, it's a kafkaesque self-sustaining bureaucracy. I do agree that suicidal thoughts aren't altogether healthy, but I'd also argue that blithely wandering through life without the merest shred…

Normal treatment for depression in the UK should be short courses of CBT; or short courses of CBT combined with an SSRI / SNRI.

Or, for something more persistent it might involve community psychotherapy and medication.

"lengthy" stays in hospital should be unusual for depressive illness, unless it's major depression, where the illness has been severely affecting the person's day to day life for some time.

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#358

Post by leothekim »

What a terrible loss. Aaron had many fruitful years ahead of him. He left us far too early. My condolences to his family and loved ones. I hope at least this compels others who have depression to seek help for themselves.

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#359

Post by hyperbovine »

jacquesm wrote: post #243
wheels wrote: post #240

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It really rubs me the wrong way when something like this happens and folks jump to conclusions as you have here. You didn't know this person. For all we know he could have not given two shits about the whole legal process and this is linked to family or relationship problems or long term general depression.

> You didn't know this person. That's an assumption on your part. And this was in response to people jumping to completely different conclusions, for instance that these things are not related at all. I wouldn't be so quick to make that call. Maybe you feel like arguing this line with his mom? : http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5047398

> That's an assumption on your part.

Are you assuming that, or...?

Re: Aaron Swartz commits suicide

#360

Post by tatsuke95 »

beadmomsw wrote: post #252

Thank you all for your kind words and thoughts. Aaron has been depressed about his case/upcoming trial, but we had no idea what he was going through was this painful. Aaron was a terrific young man. He contributed a lot to the world in his short life and I regret the loss of all the things he had yet to accomplish. As you can imagine, we all miss him dearly. The grief is unfathomable. Aaron's mother

Very sorry about your loss. It's a sad day.
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