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Aaron Swartz, Asking For Help, 119 Days Ago

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Re: Aaron Swartz, Asking For Help, 119 Days Ago

#41

Post by wissler »

jacquesm wrote: post #18

Here is the HN thread from back then. Some of it makes for pretty uncomfortable reading right now. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4529484

Our government is sick because our culture is sick, and our culture is sick because masses of individuals are sick, and few of them want to look in a mirror. And I am most definitely thinking about many of the posters here at HN.

Re: Aaron Swartz, Asking For Help, 119 Days Ago

#42

Post by danso »

jacquesm wrote: post #18

Here is the HN thread from back then. Some of it makes for pretty uncomfortable reading right now. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4529484

It is an interesting thread...I had wondered why Aaron hadn't beat the drum for support but clearly he hadn't yet won the support of the community...I didn't post in that thread but I could see myself thinking, "He's a successful startup guy, why does he need our money?"...which apparently fueled some of the skepticism back then. I guess it's worth keeping in mind when assessing MIT's soul-searching: how many of the people involved then also thought, "This privileged bratty kid can take his lumps?" and let the issue roll as it did?

Re: Aaron Swartz, Asking For Help, 119 Days Ago

#43

Post by baak »

kyro wrote: post #27
jacquesm wrote: post #18

Here is the HN thread from back then. Some of it makes for pretty uncomfortable reading right now. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4529484

Something particularly bugs me about edw519's comments in the thread you linked to and the recent one about the tragedy -- http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5047571 . It's an odd contrast.

Why is that a contrast? He didn't support what Aaron allegedly did, so he should be happy that Aaron is dead?

Re: Aaron Swartz, Asking For Help, 119 Days Ago

#46

Post by NZ_Matt »

jacquesm wrote: post #18

Here is the HN thread from back then. Some of it makes for pretty uncomfortable reading right now. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4529484

God dam I hate the term "man up", it really is a hugely degrading phrase. If someone is having a hard time and asks for the help the worst thing you can do is tell them to "man up" or "get over it".

Re: Aaron Swartz, Asking For Help, 119 Days Ago

#47

Post by calibraxis »

jacquesm wrote: post #18

Here is the HN thread from back then. Some of it makes for pretty uncomfortable reading right now. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4529484

That's fine, everyone has held foolish beliefs. If they want to make up for it, they should know that the US jails its own people by far the most in the world. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Incarceration_in_the_United_Sta...)

There's lots of people they can help fight for now.

Re: Aaron Swartz, Asking For Help, 119 Days Ago

#48

Post by subsystem »

jacquesm wrote: post #33
[deleted] wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[deleted]

> Why would I want to? Because you're flagging something for all the wrong reasons. You're assuming that this was submitted by someone just for pageviews but I see no evidence of that. TC articles hit HN with some regularity, sometimes within seconds of being posted there. Also, there is such a thing as the bookmarklet which makes such submissions as easy as clicking two buttons. Anything on TC mentioning Aaron Swart…

Especially since the TC timestamp seems to be updated every five minutes, probably because of caching.

Re: Aaron Swartz, Asking For Help, 119 Days Ago

#49

Post by danem »

kyro wrote: post #27
jacquesm wrote: post #18

Here is the HN thread from back then. Some of it makes for pretty uncomfortable reading right now. http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4529484

Something particularly bugs me about edw519's comments in the thread you linked to and the recent one about the tragedy -- http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5047571 . It's an odd contrast.

Where is the contrast? edw519's past remarks remain consistent with the one you've linked to in your comment. Expressing the idea that Aaron should be expected take responsibility for his actions does not imply any ill will on edw519's part.

Why does this issue have to be made into something so polarizing? With many here, it's either you believe Aaron should've been able to walk away scot-free, or you support an oppressive, overreaching, corrupt government, and the efforts to limit free access to information. Isn't it?

Re: Aaron Swartz, Asking For Help, 119 Days Ago

#50

Post by jacquesm »

danso wrote: post #35

So this is on the OP, which quotes the Lessig post: > 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 openly to us for the financial help he needed to fund his defense, at least without risking the ire of a district court judge. I never understood this assertion. Under…

This question, along with the question why the EFF didn't fund Aarons' defense are close to the heart of all this. I've sent dr. Lessig an email asking for some enlightenment, I don't expect an answer (he's got other stuff on his plate right now) but I really would like to know what that was all about. It seems important.
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