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The internet’s own boy: the story of Aaron Swartz [video]

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Re: The internet’s own boy: the story of Aaron Swartz [video]

#41

Post by tptacek »

res0nat0r wrote: post #39
ionised wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He wouldn't have been engaging in much political activism sitting in a jail cell for 38 years. I can't feel disappointed in Aaron at all. I would probably do the same thing in his position. I'm disappointed in a society and a 'justice' system that pushes for this to happen.

It would have been around 6 months if he would have taken the plea deal. If he didn't it still would not have been anything close to 38 years.

Considering the federal sentencing guidelines for the specific crimes he was charged with and the parameters of those offenses (non-remunerative, no prior convictions, limited damages) his own lawyer wrote that he believed that even had he been convicted, he would have landed in the sentencing levels where probation would have been allowed.

Re: The internet’s own boy: the story of Aaron Swartz [video]

#42

Post by at-fates-hands »

patcon wrote: post #31
s_dev wrote: post #16

"But also, I must admit that I am a little disappointed in Aaron. I understand that depression is a serious disease that can fell any person, however strong. But he chose the path of the activist long ago. And the path of the activist is to fight, for as long and as hard as it takes, to effect change. Aaron had powerful friends, a powerful support network, and a keen sense of moral cause that put him in the right. Th…

I might have sympathized with Atwood's comment before watching the doc, but the film goes into the misery Swartz felt even on the first day of working in the Conde Nast office. He literally barred himself in a bathroom stall and wept. For a unique character like Swartz, the disempowerment of the prison system must have literally seemed a living nightmare.

Surely he knew prison would be a likely outcome of his actions? If he was not prepared to do jail time (like hundreds of other hackers and activists had done without a whimper), then perhaps he should have recalculated what he was doing.

For someone so intelligent, it seems he didn't fully understand the implications of his own actions, which is puzzling on several different levels.

While his suicide was a tragedy, it was completely avoidable.

Re: The internet’s own boy: the story of Aaron Swartz [video]

#43

Post by ddingus »

zz1 wrote: post #2

Just the video, embedded from youtube. Here's the official site of the movie: http://www.takepart.com/internets-own-boy Definitively a movie anyone using the internet should watch. I cried.

As did I, and that was surprising.

What moved me the most was Lessig. Aaron got right into Larry's soul, and once there, asked a simple, genuine question that could not be denied. There is a quiet power in that I find profound, as if we all operate under limits that really aren't there when we really do question.

"Sweet, sweet boy." Yeah Larry, indeed.

Re: The internet’s own boy: the story of Aaron Swartz [video]

#44

Post by ionised »

idlewords wrote: post #34
ionised wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He wouldn't have been engaging in much political activism sitting in a jail cell for 38 years. I can't feel disappointed in Aaron at all. I would probably do the same thing in his position. I'm disappointed in a society and a 'justice' system that pushes for this to happen.

He would never have been sent to jail for 38 years.

So how many then? 5? 10? 20?

How many less than the figure that was being thrown around as his possible sentence is he supposedly a disappointment to us all for avoiding?

Oh, I forgot, he can be an activist from prison? Nothing to worry about then!

How many on here would honestly do it for even 5 years? I wouldn't. I'd sooner kill myself out of spite.

Re: The internet’s own boy: the story of Aaron Swartz [video]

#45

Post by zimpenfish »

ohitsdom wrote: post #18
Lawtonfogle wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>an insanely inappropriate and disproportionate legal travesty That is just about every case ever. Even the really bad people, the ones you and I and everyone else reading this agree deserve to be locked behind bars, have their charges trumped up far beyond what they are actually guilty of in an attempt to coerce them to take a plea bargain for lesser charges. To put another way, they are successfully punishing most…

Every case ever has had inappropriate and disproportionate trial/punishment? That's a very outlandish statement. Are you referring to a specific type of crime? A good argument can be made that this is true for many marijuana cases. But you seem to be talking about all crimes...

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/05/can-the-...

"I love how surprised people are by the fact that a prosecutor may have overcharged. This is something prosecutors do all the time, as a strategic choice, for various reasons"

(edited to put the 's' back on 'reasons')

Re: The internet’s own boy: the story of Aaron Swartz [video]

#46

Post by ohitsdom »

zimpenfish wrote: post #45
ohitsdom wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every case ever has had inappropriate and disproportionate trial/punishment? That's a very outlandish statement. Are you referring to a specific type of crime? A good argument can be made that this is true for many marijuana cases. But you seem to be talking about all crimes...

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/05/can-the-... "I love how surprised people are by the fact that a prosecutor may have overcharged. This is something prosecutors do all the time, as a strategic choice, for various reasons" (edited to put the 's' back on 'reasons')

Good info, thanks.

Re: The internet’s own boy: the story of Aaron Swartz [video]

#47

Post by tptacek »

s_dev wrote: post #16

"But also, I must admit that I am a little disappointed in Aaron. I understand that depression is a serious disease that can fell any person, however strong. But he chose the path of the activist long ago. And the path of the activist is to fight, for as long and as hard as it takes, to effect change. Aaron had powerful friends, a powerful support network, and a keen sense of moral cause that put him in the right. Th…

You're allowed to feel anger and disappointment over suicide. But for the most part, victims of suicide are succumbing to a disease; they aren't failing to live up to a standard.

Re: The internet’s own boy: the story of Aaron Swartz [video]

#48

Post by ohitsdom »

Lawtonfogle wrote: post #33
ohitsdom wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every case ever has had inappropriate and disproportionate trial/punishment? That's a very outlandish statement. Are you referring to a specific type of crime? A good argument can be made that this is true for many marijuana cases. But you seem to be talking about all crimes...

You missed my 'just about'. And while it might be a little overstated (I haven't seen anyone do a massive sampling to compare what the charges were compared to what they should've been, which is probably a bit subjective), I would consider it in the majority of cases based on the anecdotes I've seen. Anecdotes are definitely imperfect and worse than peer reviewed science, but lacking the latter, the former is better…

"Just about" doesn't leave much room for variation. But I get your point, and the link zimpenfish posted actually supports your opinion fairly well. My initial knee-jerk reaction against your original comment seems to have been off base. Which is sad for the state of our justice system...

Re: The internet’s own boy: the story of Aaron Swartz [video]

#49

Post by JDiculous »

Not a fan of unnecessary reposts, but this guy's death was a huge tragedy for our generation so I don't mind more people seeing this. He could've been one of the first congressmen actually in touch with our generation, and willing to take a stance on issues he believes in rather than pander to lobbyists.
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