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

I found it odd when listening to this story that Aaron Swartz was characterized by Adrian Chen as a Renaissance Man of the internet age. I guess in the internet age you need to only have expertise in one area to be a Renaissance Man and that area is computer programming and the internet.

What a sad waste of a brilliant mind.

I'd like to chime in about JSTOR, though. I was disturbed to hear OTM imply that JSTOR is somehow too expensive for individuals, as that's just not true!

I'm not affiliated with an academic institution, but I can access JSTOR via my public library. For some reason I've never been able to discern, public libraries are terrible about making those facilities visible to the public. In the case of the Hennepin County Library system, you find "databases," and then look through the zillions of really fascinating DBs until you get to JSTOR. Plug in your (free) library card number, and you're in-- all of JSTOR, and you haven't paid a thing.

I'm quite sure that ANYONE who's willing to do a bit of poking around online can find portals which they can use for free. I hope OTM will take a look at that for a follow-up. It makes Aaron Swartz's death all the more pointless-- had he realized that JSTOR is actually quite accessible to the public, perhaps he wouldn't have felt compelled to start the chain of events which led to his being made an "example" by the feds.

Shava,

I am not sure what to make of the difference between that report your cite from Salem (Oregon) which conflicts with the Boston Globe report. The Globe cites Mr. Swartz's attorney as saying that that both he and his client rejected the offer of a plea deal from the prosecutors.

http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2013/01/14/mit-hacking-case-lawyer-says-aaron-swartz-was-offered-plea-deal-six-months-behind-bars/hQt8sQI64tnV6FAd7CLcTJ/story.html

How would you have us read an unsourced claim from small newspaper across the country as compared to a sourced (and the best possible source) from the major paper in town? The strikes me as much more credible.

I do not know of any history of or theorizing about "civil disobedience" that excludes a willingness to suffer the legal consequences of violating the law.

The difference between "civil disobedience" and "flouting the law" is just that: a willingness to suffer the legal consequences, usually to draw attention to an unjust or insensible law.

Aaron Swartz never demonstrated that he was willing to engage in civil disobedience. He showed that he was willing to flout the law. That is an important distinction. He was not like Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr, Ghandi or Thoreau.

I'm sorry for your loss.

Adrian Chen, who tends to be a bit loose with the facts as is typical with Gawker, is mistaken about Aaron Swartz being offered a plea deal by the Massachusetts Federal Prosecutor's Office. Aaron was turned down for a plea deal two days before his death.

http://www.salem-news.com/articles/january182013/reddit-founder.php

Perhaps On the Media should think harder about the reputation of the sources of the journalism sources they use for their reliability? Seriously. Gawker? This is roughly like going for a British shock tabloid.

I'm a friend of Aaron's -- I've known him online since he was a teen, in person from the Berkman bloggers and was on panels and activist actions with him. I coordinated a vigil for him the day of his funeral at his parent's home, but here in Boston, at the federal courthouse.