But that really begs the question of who did M.I.T go to first? In their case I would assume campus police going to municipal/state. That whole side of things doesn't make sense, because I'm pretty sure it wasn't the first time students had left "projects" in "unauthorized" places around grounds.
Why didn't they treat this as trespass on the physical side? Another crying shame was the charge of "DOS" damages as those were self inflicted by the institution. Aaron didn't cut off access, M.I.T. did.
I'm starting to wonder at the caliber of that institution...
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De mortuis nil nisi bonum.
Besides, thiefs do not end up dead during the investigation.
Besides, thiefs do not end up dead during the investigation.
when andrew carnegie sold what became us steel to jp morgan for 500 million, which is almost exactly 50 billion today, he set about to redress the denial of written learning/ best knowledge by scottish landowners who restricted library information from peasants when he grew up poor of cash in scotland.
today academic and institutional, corporate players can be the scottish landowners, and they pass out DOCX files not thinking the crippling factor of not selecting the 1997-2003 format of DOC which allows free access to the 90% of the planet that hasn't found the vanishing need to upgrade. there are other ways to play the game of promoting digital democracy, and this is my small contribution. please tell 2 friends there are always a way to help if you think about it.
today academic and institutional, corporate players can be the scottish landowners, and they pass out DOCX files not thinking the crippling factor of not selecting the 1997-2003 format of DOC which allows free access to the 90% of the planet that hasn't found the vanishing need to upgrade. there are other ways to play the game of promoting digital democracy, and this is my small contribution. please tell 2 friends there are always a way to help if you think about it.
Is a fascinating one to be sure. I have read many biographies and learn new information from each one.
I have very big questions about his death. I'm not convinced it's a conspiracy but with a former Secretary of State blatantly denying that she tried to blame a "video" for the attacks on our embassy (when all you have to do is look at CNN/ABC/NBC archives to see it) - I'm convinced we can't the lengths to which the politicians will continue to steal our freedoms for their control.
Few realize that the GOP and DEMS both passed a measure (NDAA) that gives the govt the right to indefinitely detain Americans without cause. IT ALREADY PASSED.
So my call and challenge to my fellow tech brothers is to BE AARON SWARTZ. The founders of this country faced similar infringements where government was trying to regulate EVERYTHING they bought, sold and buried. People gave their lives knowing that their children could live in a world where government wouldn't control everything they did.
You don't like politics? Fine. Don't complain when suddenly another 10% of your paycheck is gone (which will have to be done in 2 years to pay for $10 Trillion of debt being racked up) or worse - when your "speech" is no longer free, but the government has control to shut down the internet to stop discussion on something they want to hide or pass.
You don't think it's already being done? Then get educated. And get busy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bFALonjLay0#!
Few realize that the GOP and DEMS both passed a measure (NDAA) that gives the govt the right to indefinitely detain Americans without cause. IT ALREADY PASSED.
So my call and challenge to my fellow tech brothers is to BE AARON SWARTZ. The founders of this country faced similar infringements where government was trying to regulate EVERYTHING they bought, sold and buried. People gave their lives knowing that their children could live in a world where government wouldn't control everything they did.
You don't like politics? Fine. Don't complain when suddenly another 10% of your paycheck is gone (which will have to be done in 2 years to pay for $10 Trillion of debt being racked up) or worse - when your "speech" is no longer free, but the government has control to shut down the internet to stop discussion on something they want to hide or pass.
You don't think it's already being done? Then get educated. And get busy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bFALonjLay0#!
Which is also why I belong to several political action groups. I'll never be a big time guy like Aaron, but if enough folks did as we do, it could make a HUGE difference. 
I applaud that you are involved and that over the years, you have brought insightful comments to TR.
I would hope many of the people that frequent these forums are members of EFF. (I'd encourage folks to also replace that "E" with an "F" and search the results 
)
) 
Are they sure it was actually a suicide and not some plot to take him out of the picture?
I'm sorry but if you steal something you are guilty of theft. Aaron was wrong to commit suicide, but it is not fair to steal from others! Aaron should have manned up and taken his punishment
I'm pretty sure someone, somewhere would call those of us with computers guilty of theft at various points in our use of the technology.
Aaron was entitled to access JSTOR. Thus not guilty of theft. And really this is the crying shame of it, because in the indictment their case of "theft" rests on him being a legitimate user and clicking the Accept button for JSTOR's terms of service.
Did he do wrong? I think so, and he knew it because he was a legitimate user. Was it criminal? Not on the JSTOR side. Put another way if every student in the US of A at a participating university downloaded their limit of JSTOR papers, printed them out and mailed them to a single P.O. no TOS would be violated. No wire fraud would occur to trigger Fed involvement. And Aaron's end goal could be accomplished legally if someone wanted to take the time & money to digitize.
Which leads us to "There ain't no free lunch." Somebody has to pay somewhere, unfortunately in this case it was Aaron's life. I hope that someday, there will be a reckoning for that. For you see the theft that was committed here was of a life.
Aaron was entitled to access JSTOR. Thus not guilty of theft. And really this is the crying shame of it, because in the indictment their case of "theft" rests on him being a legitimate user and clicking the Accept button for JSTOR's terms of service.
Did he do wrong? I think so, and he knew it because he was a legitimate user. Was it criminal? Not on the JSTOR side. Put another way if every student in the US of A at a participating university downloaded their limit of JSTOR papers, printed them out and mailed them to a single P.O. no TOS would be violated. No wire fraud would occur to trigger Fed involvement. And Aaron's end goal could be accomplished legally if someone wanted to take the time & money to digitize.
Which leads us to "There ain't no free lunch." Somebody has to pay somewhere, unfortunately in this case it was Aaron's life. I hope that someday, there will be a reckoning for that. For you see the theft that was committed here was of a life.
I may have misunderstood, but Aaron's first encounter involved his purchasing a bunch of documents and making them public.
Not really certain if he paid, was under the impression it was freely available for a short time at a handful of public libraries rather than the usual charge of .08 cents per page.
The FBI was called in to investigate but no laws were broken (as it was free access at the public library)
The FBI was called in to investigate but no laws were broken (as it was free access at the public library)
I also was told that he spent a great deal of money to obtain the court documents.
http://whowhatwhy.com/2013/01/17/carmen-ortizs-sordid-rap-sheet/
http://www.wbur.org/2012/12/20/smith-fraud-resignation
Main talking point - Commit voter fraud, not once, not twice but three times and you get to cop a misdemeanor.
If you are a 20 something hacker and info freedom activist like Aaron... not so lenient.
http://www.wbur.org/2012/12/20/smith-fraud-resignation
Main talking point - Commit voter fraud, not once, not twice but three times and you get to cop a misdemeanor.
If you are a 20 something hacker and info freedom activist like Aaron... not so lenient.
I am glad to see that this is getting more attention than it did earlier.
Is there any question that perhaps it was not a suicide but made to appear as if young talented man took his own life? It wouldn't be the first time that's for sure. And my very deepest condolences to his family and friends. So very sad.
the reason there is widespread contempt for the actions of Ortiz and Heymann is the fact that Aaron had made no secret of his depression. Thus most likely it was suicide.
Ortiz states her office did nothing out of the ordinary. Many of the legal apologists use this to excuse Heymann and Ortiz. But staying within the rules of a system which allows such abuse of power doesn't absolve one of personal responsibility. In my mind it exacerbates culpability because at that point the only thing keeping the system in check are good people.
So it really isn't a conspiracy so much as a sad state of affairs in the federal judicial system.
Ortiz states her office did nothing out of the ordinary. Many of the legal apologists use this to excuse Heymann and Ortiz. But staying within the rules of a system which allows such abuse of power doesn't absolve one of personal responsibility. In my mind it exacerbates culpability because at that point the only thing keeping the system in check are good people.
So it really isn't a conspiracy so much as a sad state of affairs in the federal judicial system.
People share their memories of Aaron at a New York memorial service. The comments after the article are interesting as well:
http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/19/3895218/aaron-swartz-memorial-new-york
http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/19/3895218/aaron-swartz-memorial-new-york
Aaron's lawyer should have used the Jon Corzine defense. He didn't intend to steal the money, documents, or whatever, but don't notice the crony caps we take to make these distinctions among free citizens disappear into the noise of political campaign cash bundling.
Internet is a great service for todays world. There is also some problem,Unfortunately once the federal system get's their eye on you and assigns monetary damages in excess of five figures they don't let go.
Sign this Whitehouse petition to make the DOJ accountable for Aaron Swartz death
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/appoint-independent-investigator-subpoena-power-investigate-instances-doj-bullying-extorsion-and/ZrDymCLq
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/appoint-independent-investigator-subpoena-power-investigate-instances-doj-bullying-extorsion-and/ZrDymCLq
What were the circumstances surrounding Aaron's "suicide?" Darker forces in the government have been know to "suicide people in the past (to murder them in a way that makes it look like suicide). The more damaging the activity of the enemy of the state, the more likely that enemy will disappear in one way or another. Was it obvious he did it to himself?
... it's impossible to know for sure. If politics is involved, police investigation is irrelevant.
Probably the most infamous example of "suiciding" I'm aware of is Roberto Calvi: Hanged under the bridge, clothes stuffed with bricks, injuries to his neck were inconsistent with hanging, and he had not touched the bricks found in his pockets. Yet, authorities stubbornly insisted it was a suicide.
Probably the most infamous example of "suiciding" I'm aware of is Roberto Calvi: Hanged under the bridge, clothes stuffed with bricks, injuries to his neck were inconsistent with hanging, and he had not touched the bricks found in his pockets. Yet, authorities stubbornly insisted it was a suicide.
Suicide by coercion,by either physical or psychological stress, is the implied goal of the tactic. What is torture and what are the objectives? The saddening aspect of all this is that it has been happening since the beginning of recorded history and that it is self inflicted. A colleague is promoted into management, a neighbor becomes part of the justice/political system and how it affects our personalities;the way our leaders are, and always have, played to the military (is very telling). We are all pliable drones liable to be influenced by the right carrot or toy. The neutralizing of mass action or reaction to unpopular acts or activists is the great motivator for gov't action. The reaction to the Vietnam War taught the power structure a big lesson and the different objectives of political parties is how to best neutralize anything that will upset the masses. Anything that approaches critical mass is toned down, moved to the backburners. They may have seemingly different strategies but the same goals. It's a balancing act between left and right but who controls the center? The illusions revolve around equality (socially) and the designation of value (economic). Our system has been successful for awhile, one and made some great achievements; successfully circumvented many obstacles and makeovers but all systems have had finite lives. Economic imbalances are a constant but added to the mix technological advances, the internet, and impending ecological / medical emergencies. The risks we face are great and small minds can add to the impending chaos but unfortunately that is one of the qualities necessary to advance in the economic/political arena.
I've seen a ton of MIT president L. Rafael Reif associated with Stephen Heymann and it's starting to grate on my nerves. Here is a 2011 cyber crimes symposium that shows him.
http://www.nelfonline.org/cases/NELF2011YearInReview.pdf
Panelist description for him is -
Stephen P. Heymann, Esquire, Chief of the Cybercrimes Unit in the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts
Thus I'm pretty certain this was the lead prosecutor against Aaron Swartz. I just find it amazing that a "public servant" would have so little publically available.
http://www.nelfonline.org/cases/NELF2011YearInReview.pdf
Panelist description for him is -
Stephen P. Heymann, Esquire, Chief of the Cybercrimes Unit in the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Massachusetts
Thus I'm pretty certain this was the lead prosecutor against Aaron Swartz. I just find it amazing that a "public servant" would have so little publically available.
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