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Nice it only took a global pandemic to accomplish the free sharing of information that Aaron Swartz was trying to accomplish: "In 2011, Swartz was arrested by

Nice it only took a global pandemic to accomplish the free sharing of information that Aaron Swartz was trying to accomplish: "In 2011, Swartz was arrested by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) police on state breaking-and-entering charges, after connecting a computer to the MIT network in an unmarked and unlocked closet, and setting it to download academic journal articles systematically from JSTOR... Swartz declined a plea bargain under which he would have served six months in federal prison. Two days after the prosecution rejected a counter-offer by Swartz, he was found dead in his Brooklyn apartment, where he had hanged himself." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz

zozbot234 7y ago
Aaron Swartz was trying to share pre-1923 articles (this was basically the cutoff for public domain content in the U.S. at the time, ignoring more challenging issues such as whether the copyright was renewed and whether that actually means that a post-1920s item might be in the public domain). JSTOR has actually been making that content broadly available for quite some time.
- cjbprime 7y ago
  I think you've confused Aaron Swartz with Greg Maxwell. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110912/10132515906/jstor-freely-releases-public-domain-papers-that-greg-maxwell-already-freed.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110912/10132515906/jstor...
VWWHFSfQ 7y ago
it's a tragic story but what he was doing was theft
- halyconWays 7y ago
  Educate yourself: he only downloaded articles that were already public domain. MIT actually didn't want to prosecute him and didn't pursue charges. US DA Carmen Ortiz pursued it for political and career reasons and expressed no remorse when the young man was driven to suicide. There was absolutely nothing to gain from prosecuting a student for freeing public domain articles from behind a paywall, except a soulless DA seeing a way to boost her career.
  - VWWHFSfQ 7y ago
    Like I said, the whole thing was very tragic. But suicide is not a normal response. Schwartz had deeper problems and he wasn't "driven to it" by a soulless DA, as you say.
    - halyconWays 7y ago
      He wasn't charged with theft, he was charged with accessing a computer system he wasn't supposed to (the locked server cabinet). He was also driven to suicide by the prosecution flipping his friend after he confided in her. You don't know what you're talking about
    - cryptonector 7y ago
      The overcharging of Swartz was over the top, ridiculous, embarrassing, and destructive. It destroyed Swartz, but also Ortiz. You can blame Swartz for his suicide, sure, but don't tell us Ortiz's nonsense didn't help him go there. She might not be liable in any way (not least because she'd be immunized as DA), but morally she sure was -- we, the public, have judged her. She should never hold public office again.
- TheNorthman 7y ago
  Is there anyway JSTOR can get the stolen items back though? JSTOR should either go to the police and request that they help them get the stolen items back. Or maybe talk to their insurance company, they might help to compensate them for their losses. But a helpful idea; if Swartz stole something and then put copies of that on a website that is freely accessible, I would suggest just copying it, so that both him and they have the same thing. That's a great thing with the digital world, everyone can have copies of things. I am surprised Swartz stole something when he could just have copied it. I'm guessing he is a older individual that don't know the possibilities of modern day technology to make copies.

zozbot234 7y ago

Aaron Swartz was trying to share pre-1923 articles (this was basically the cutoff for public domain content in the U.S. at the time, ignoring more challenging issues such as whether the copyright was renewed and whether that actually means that a post-1920s item might be in the public domain). JSTOR has actually been making that content broadly available for quite some time.

cjbprime 7y ago
I think you've confused Aaron Swartz with Greg Maxwell. https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110912/10132515906/jstor-freely-releases-public-domain-papers-that-greg-maxwell-already-freed.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110912/10132515906/jstor...

VWWHFSfQ 7y ago

it's a tragic story but what he was doing was theft

halyconWays 7y ago
Educate yourself: he only downloaded articles that were already public domain. MIT actually didn't want to prosecute him and didn't pursue charges. US DA Carmen Ortiz pursued it for political and career reasons and expressed no remorse when the young man was driven to suicide. There was absolutely nothing to gain from prosecuting a student for freeing public domain articles from behind a paywall, except a soulless DA seeing a way to boost her career.
- VWWHFSfQ 7y ago
  Like I said, the whole thing was very tragic. But suicide is not a normal response. Schwartz had deeper problems and he wasn't "driven to it" by a soulless DA, as you say.
  - halyconWays 7y ago
    He wasn't charged with theft, he was charged with accessing a computer system he wasn't supposed to (the locked server cabinet). He was also driven to suicide by the prosecution flipping his friend after he confided in her. You don't know what you're talking about
  - cryptonector 7y ago
    The overcharging of Swartz was over the top, ridiculous, embarrassing, and destructive. It destroyed Swartz, but also Ortiz. You can blame Swartz for his suicide, sure, but don't tell us Ortiz's nonsense didn't help him go there. She might not be liable in any way (not least because she'd be immunized as DA), but morally she sure was -- we, the public, have judged her. She should never hold public office again.
TheNorthman 7y ago
Is there anyway JSTOR can get the stolen items back though? JSTOR should either go to the police and request that they help them get the stolen items back. Or maybe talk to their insurance company, they might help to compensate them for their losses. But a helpful idea; if Swartz stole something and then put copies of that on a website that is freely accessible, I would suggest just copying it, so that both him and they have the same thing. That's a great thing with the digital world, everyone can have copies of things. I am surprised Swartz stole something when he could just have copied it. I'm guessing he is a older individual that don't know the possibilities of modern day technology to make copies.