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Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz

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Re: Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz

#131

Post by jacquesm »

larrys wrote: post #102

Perhaps someone could explain or confirm how anyone really knows that this is actually the "official" statement of the family and partners of Aaron. I understand that this was linked to in some major media, but I can find any way of determining that by the page itself or in any of the stories linking to it. There isn't any contact info and the domain name (which redirects there) was registered by this person: Domain…

It would be gracious of you if you stopped questioning each and every bit about this story that doesn't mesh with your paranoid fantasies. What would it take for you to be satisfied? Birth certificates? Passport copies?

Take it for what it is or prove that it isn't until you have proof that it is not have the good grace to be quiet and let these people grieve without adding insult to injury.

Enough damage has been done I would say.

Re: Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz

#132

Post by jacquesm »

bguthrie wrote: post #108
larrys wrote: post #102

Perhaps someone could explain or confirm how anyone really knows that this is actually the "official" statement of the family and partners of Aaron. I understand that this was linked to in some major media, but I can find any way of determining that by the page itself or in any of the stories linking to it. There isn't any contact info and the domain name (which redirects there) was registered by this person: Domain…

I was a colleague of Aaron's at ThoughtWorks (he joined early last year), and, I hope, a friend. We're devastated by his loss. For a history of the work he was doing over the last year, check https://github.com/victorykit/victorykit . We're in close contact with Aaron's family and partner Taren. You can take my word for it or not, I guess, but the site and the statement are official.

Thank you Brian, for all you're doing in what must be incredibly hard times. I can't begin to express how this all makes me feel, it will take weeks to sort it all out I'm still too stunned to properly react. What a terrible loss. I have a short list of people that I think I've identified that will change the world in a material way, Aaron was at the top of that list. The fact that we persecute such people rather than give them the benefit of the doubt and encourage them to right what is obviously wrong is what bothers me most, the one thing that stands out for me about Aaron at the moment is that he consistently came down on the right side of any argument.

Re: Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz

#133

Post by jacquesm »

biot wrote: post #109
jlgreco wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unlike Jobs, Aaron was actually one of us.

It's rather presumptuous for you to speak on behalf of everybody. I would consider them both "one of us", though I prefer to leave "us" vs. "them" labels to religious, political, and sports nuts.

http://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=aaronsw

Re: Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz

#135

Post by jacquesm »

FireBeyond wrote: post #91
sonabinu wrote: post #79

The Washington Post calls him an American Hero ... he was one, wasn't he? http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/01/12/a...

At the risk of antagonizing an upset crowd - to me, no, he wasn't. A hero is someone admired for courage and/or other noble qualities. It's also a word greatly overused in culture today. Swartz was accomplished, certainly. Though to me "co-founded the website reddit.com, co-wrote one of many specifications for syndicating content and repeatedly hacked and trespassed to download content to which he was not authorized"…

Before you make a bigger fool of yourself why don't you go and read up on what Aaron did besides the things you know about:

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

Re: Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz

#136

Post by larrys »

jacquesm wrote: post #131
larrys wrote: post #102

Perhaps someone could explain or confirm how anyone really knows that this is actually the "official" statement of the family and partners of Aaron. I understand that this was linked to in some major media, but I can find any way of determining that by the page itself or in any of the stories linking to it. There isn't any contact info and the domain name (which redirects there) was registered by this person: Domain…

It would be gracious of you if you stopped questioning each and every bit about this story that doesn't mesh with your paranoid fantasies. What would it take for you to be satisfied? Birth certificates? Passport copies? Take it for what it is or prove that it isn't until you have proof that it is not have the good grace to be quiet and let these people grieve without adding insult to injury. Enough damage has been do…

"mesh with your paranoid fantasies"

You're being a bully.

Sorry but I stand behind what I said which brings up a realistic question given the way the information was presented and that lack of contact info (at the time I viewed the page). You can choose to be trusting and you could very well be correct. I'm just asking a question.

Re: Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz

#137

Post by jacquesm »

larrys wrote: post #136
jacquesm wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It would be gracious of you if you stopped questioning each and every bit about this story that doesn't mesh with your paranoid fantasies. What would it take for you to be satisfied? Birth certificates? Passport copies? Take it for what it is or prove that it isn't until you have proof that it is not have the good grace to be quiet and let these people grieve without adding insult to injury. Enough damage has been do…

"mesh with your paranoid fantasies" You're being a bully. Sorry but I stand behind what I said which brings up a realistic question given the way the information was presented and that lack of contact info (at the time I viewed the page). You can choose to be trusting and you could very well be correct . I'm just asking a question.

> I'm just asking a question.

No, you are casting doubt. Re-read what you wrote. There is a question in there but a lot more besides.

Re: Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz

#138

Post by jcrites »

ghshephard wrote: post #24

I've been thinking about the family today, and what might have caused Aaron to make such a terrible decision. One thing that caught my attention, was Lessig's comment in his post: " ... Aaron Swartz be labeled a “felon.” For in the 18 months of negotiations, that was what he was not willing to accept, and so that was the reason he was facing a million dollar trial in April — his wealth bled dry, yet unable to appeal…

> yet unable to appeal openly to us for the financial help he needed to fund his defense

Was this a court limitation? Why couldn't he appeal openly for his own defense?

Re: Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz

#139

Post by genwin »

rdl wrote: post #116
genwin wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's entirely possible his (great) IP law firm could have gotten him off, or at least ended up with a brief or suspended sentence. That is possible. But what life would he have then, with $1.5 million of debt? If not for my kids I'd probably jump off a cliff myself than work a lifetime paying that off.

I think he had some assets from Reddit, as well as some of the work being pro bono, and contributions. Killing yourself over $1.5mm in debt is not rational. You can default on it and go bankrupt and be back to normal in 7-10 years. You can get most of it written off. You can do consulting for 5-10 years and live slightly frugally and probably pay enough of it off to have the rest written off. You can start 1/1000th o…

If you could simply file bankruptcy then most everyone in that situation would do that. Presumably the lawyers are on to that strategy and mitigate around it.

You could be right that $1.5 million in debt is not worth killing oneself, but not everyone will take it that way. It would be a major drag on your life in any case. It would be difficult for all but the strongest people to go on enjoying life.

Re: Official Statement from the family and partner of Aaron Swartz

#140

Post by hso9791 »

duaneb wrote: post #34
wololo wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What changed?

He's being hyperbolic; MIT is still a very friendly hacker school. Aaron DID break the law, and I would not expect ANY school to stand behind him when he blatantly violated the law. It's pretty simple: don't break the law, much less using MIT resources to do so. That said, they could have handled it with a lot more finesse, especially when it is such horrible publicity for them. I suspect this has more to do with eag…

He broke the law?

Read this, and then think long and hard about it: http://tech.mit.edu/V132/N46/swartz/swartz-suppress2.pdf

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