AARON SWARTZ

Aaron Swartz a.k.a. aaronsw (1986–2013) was a brilliant programmer, writer, and activist whose work profoundly shaped the digital world.

He was in the first Y Combinator batch (Summer 2005). He was part of the founding team of Reddit, he developed the RSS web feed format, the technical architecture of Creative Commons, the website framework web.py, the lightweight markup language format Markdown, and created “Open Library” - a project by the Internet Archive.

A fierce advocate for open access to information, Aaron's commitment to making knowledge freely available made him a target. Pursued relentlessly by the U.S. government for his activism, Aaron tragically took his own life at the age of 26, a loss that many view as a consequence of government overreach. His legacy endures as a powerful symbol of the fight for internet freedom.

A note on Aaron's innocence

1. Aaron accessed MIT's network to download JSTOR files, which was legal. He just used a Python script to download them faster, switching IPs when blocked.
2. After some cat-and-mouse game between Aaron and JSTOR, JSTOR cuts MIT's access, but Aaron connected directly to the MIT server in an unlocked computer closet.
3. Authorities caught him on camera after installing surveillance.
4. Initially charged with 4 felonies, later increased to 13:
   • Wire fraud (2 counts)
   • Computer Fraud and Abuse Act violations (11 counts)
   • Potential penalties up to 35 years in prison, $1 million in fines.
5. JSTOR dropped the case, but the US government pursued it.
6. Prosecution claimed intent to distribute files publicly, without evidence.
7. Charges were based on violating user policies, which some argued was an overly broad interpretation of law.

Source: The Aaron Swartz podcast, an interview with Aaron's lawyer.