3 ms·
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 Carme
by 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 agoLike 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 agoHe 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 agoThe 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.