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The man is a heroic martyr, who risked everything to set knowledge free. (Knowledge most of which was produced at the public's expense!) He may very well die i
by asciilifeform 15y ago
The man is a heroic martyr, who risked everything to set knowledge free. (Knowledge most of which was produced at the public's expense!)
He may very well die in prison.
Or perhaps he will be forced to publicly recant and merely be forbidden from using computers. I hope that in the latter case he will have the good sense to emigrate.
One day, his tormentors will be harshly punished. Unless, of course, "the future is a boot stamping on a human face — forever."
"Keeping medicines from the bloodstreams of the sick; food from the bellies of the hungry; books from the hands of the uneducated; technology from the underdeveloped; and putting advocates of freedom in prisons. Intellectual property is to the 21st century what the slave trade was to the 16th."
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Lulu_of_the_Lotus-Eaters http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Lulu_of_the_Lotus-Eaters)
- tptacek 15y agoHE MAY VERY WELL DIE IN PRISON. Can we be done with this thread? I know for a fact that I am not the only one who has flagged it. No good can come of this. In a likely worst case given who we're talking about, Aaron will be prodded into commenting publicly on a criminal case. FLAGGED.
- jdp23 15y agoWhich of the HN guidelines does this violate?
- tptacek 15y agoNone of them. I think you'd be doing Aaron a favor to kill it, though.
- asciilifeform 15y agoYeah, let him become desaparecido in obscurity. Nacht und Nebel. What a "favor." Do you really think that he will be invited to post incriminating comments here from his jail cell?
- tptacek 15y agoIs he in jail? For this? I'd be shocked. I think even Mark Abene made bail, and he reprogrammed telco switches.
- asciilifeform 15y agoIf he isn't, he will be soon. I will be surprised if he is allowed into an airport.
- tptacek 15y agoOh, you're trolling. OK.
- asciilifeform 15y agoI have stated my honest opinion. You are, however, free to believe that I was trolling. I can't stop you. I invite the moderators to delete my account, if they believe that I am a troll. As things are, I merely refuse to go along with the herd-think on this site.
- jrockway 15y agoYou seem to have a lot of comments for someone who doesn't even have a TV Drama-level understanding of the criminal justice system. You know that even people accused of murder are often free during their trials, right?
- asciilifeform 15y agoA political prisoner is not usually granted bail. It isn't hard to see why. Murder is a genuine crime recognized by all nations. One accused of murder will find few people who are automatically sympathetic. On the other hand, the "crime" Mr. Swartz is accused of would be seen as an entirely moral act by a great many people around the world, myself included. It is quite possible that if he were to board a plane, he could find a place where he would not only be able to continue in his line of work, but would be respected as a hero who flipped the finger at the Evil Empire and its fat rent-seeking parasites. The prosecutor would be quite foolish to grant bail.
- jdp23 15y agoThanks for the reply. I had been thinking of submitting the NYT article but based on your response decided to hold off. Not sure I think that flagging it is the right thing but I don't want to pour gasoline on the flames.
- andylei 15y agoi can't tell if this is a joke or not
- asciilifeform 15y agoNot at all.
- shii 15y agoFirst time I've ever actually laughed on Hacker News.