4 ms·

Aaron Swartz documentary under development

137 points by talles 13y ago

gum_ina_package 13y ago
I've very excited to see this, hopefully it will help Aaron's Law to pass too.
talles 13y ago
Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/26788492/aaron-swartz-documentary-the-internets-own-boy-0 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/26788492/aaron-swartz-do...
mattl 13y ago
Kickstarter ended month's ago, the movie is now in production. I haven't heard much in the way of updates though.
kevando 13y ago
Do documentaries like this bother anyone else? I'm only surmising from the trailer, but it seems to take this very serious event and over dramatize it into something like the bogus Gasland documentary. I already know about this tragedy, so maybe this movie's not for me.
- euphemize 13y ago
  Not sure. I don't think they over dramatized it and even if they did, it might be required if they want to make sure the message gets through to a larger audience than the tech community. As you said, this is a very serious event and what's bothersome, if anything, is the way the case was handled by authorities. I'll agree with other comments on here that the title is pretty bad, but I think this documentary is important. We'll see when it comes out.
- onebaddude 13y ago
  >over dramatize it into something like the bogus Gasland documentary Generally, I feel the same as you. But, I understand that we need the over-dramatic to balance the under-the-radar.
- dlsx 13y ago
  No because I believe Aaron would be upset if there weren't people fighting to right the wrongs of his death or murder. This wasn't a clear cut case of suicide. He was practically murdered by the state. What would you do if you were facing those charges, and anyone that tried to help you being bullied to march forward with their agenda. An agenda that the corrupt politicians in Washington are pushing. An agenda to close and wall the internet so more free people can be brought to "justice" for their crimes against corporations.
  - raldi 13y ago
    > What would you do if you were facing those charges Are you referring to the six month plea bargain he was offered?
    - apgwoz 13y ago
      ... but still being labelled a felon, who cant vote, and is a second class citizen.
      - sanoli 13y ago
        I think the parent's questioning still applies. What would you do: serve six months, be labelled a felon (for something that you still believed wasn't wrong), not be allowed to vote, or commit suicide?
      - raldi 13y ago
        So every felon, including Martha Stewart, was "practically murdered" by the state?
        stolio 13y ago
        Proving a false equivocation wrong doesn't help your case. There's a big difference between being charged with a felony for insider trading and then lying to regulators about it (Martha Stewart) and Aaron's case which was clearly an overly aggressive prosecution. Martha Stewart also went to jail worth hundreds of millions and came out a billionaire[0]. Aaron had had his personal wealth bled dry so his prospects of life after jail were very different from Martha Stewart's. He didn't have anywhere near her resources to fight back legally. Also, for her pleading guilty only meant that she agreed that insider trading and lying are wrong, pleading guilty for Aaron Swartz would be saying that everything he fought for was wrong, essentially agreeing that who he was was wrong. Martha Stewart's half-year in jail and felony conviction was wildly different from Aaron Swartz's and seeing them compared is very disappointing. [0] - http://www.biography.com/people/martha-stewart-9542234 http://www.biography.com/people/martha-stewart-9542234
schenecstasy 13y ago
Cool they are doing a creative commons open license on the footage. I'll have to do a re-edit and change the cringeworthy title.
- badwetter 13y ago
  Fix your link too.
rhgraysonii 13y ago
It's great to see things like this about Aaron continue to spring up. He truly was a great guy and his contributions and efforts seem as if they won't ever be forgotten. Regardless of your opinion on what he did with JSTOR, the guy truly, truly cared and believed in what he was doing and I feel anyone can respect that. It's hard to believe it has been almost a year now. RIP.
donteatbark 13y ago
In this situation, is there a notion of a "rightholder?" Someone (e.g. his family) who can sell the right to make the film?
- michaelfeathers 13y ago
  You don't need permission to make documentaries about people.

137 points by talles 13y ago

I've very excited to see this, hopefully it will help Aaron's Law to pass too.

Kickstarter: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/26788492/aaron-swartz-documentary-the-internets-own-boy-0 http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/26788492/aaron-swartz-do...

mattl 13y ago

Kickstarter ended month's ago, the movie is now in production. I haven't heard much in the way of updates though.

kevando 13y ago

Do documentaries like this bother anyone else? I'm only surmising from the trailer, but it seems to take this very serious event and over dramatize it into something like the bogus Gasland documentary. I already know about this tragedy, so maybe this movie's not for me.

euphemize 13y ago
Not sure. I don't think they over dramatized it and even if they did, it might be required if they want to make sure the message gets through to a larger audience than the tech community. As you said, this is a very serious event and what's bothersome, if anything, is the way the case was handled by authorities. I'll agree with other comments on here that the title is pretty bad, but I think this documentary is important. We'll see when it comes out.
onebaddude 13y ago
>over dramatize it into something like the bogus Gasland documentary Generally, I feel the same as you. But, I understand that we need the over-dramatic to balance the under-the-radar.
dlsx 13y ago
No because I believe Aaron would be upset if there weren't people fighting to right the wrongs of his death or murder. This wasn't a clear cut case of suicide. He was practically murdered by the state. What would you do if you were facing those charges, and anyone that tried to help you being bullied to march forward with their agenda. An agenda that the corrupt politicians in Washington are pushing. An agenda to close and wall the internet so more free people can be brought to "justice" for their crimes against corporations.
- raldi 13y ago
  > What would you do if you were facing those charges Are you referring to the six month plea bargain he was offered?
  - apgwoz 13y ago
    ... but still being labelled a felon, who cant vote, and is a second class citizen.
    - sanoli 13y ago
      I think the parent's questioning still applies. What would you do: serve six months, be labelled a felon (for something that you still believed wasn't wrong), not be allowed to vote, or commit suicide?
    - raldi 13y ago
      So every felon, including Martha Stewart, was "practically murdered" by the state?
      - stolio 13y ago
        Proving a false equivocation wrong doesn't help your case. There's a big difference between being charged with a felony for insider trading and then lying to regulators about it (Martha Stewart) and Aaron's case which was clearly an overly aggressive prosecution. Martha Stewart also went to jail worth hundreds of millions and came out a billionaire[0]. Aaron had had his personal wealth bled dry so his prospects of life after jail were very different from Martha Stewart's. He didn't have anywhere near her resources to fight back legally. Also, for her pleading guilty only meant that she agreed that insider trading and lying are wrong, pleading guilty for Aaron Swartz would be saying that everything he fought for was wrong, essentially agreeing that who he was was wrong. Martha Stewart's half-year in jail and felony conviction was wildly different from Aaron Swartz's and seeing them compared is very disappointing. [0] - http://www.biography.com/people/martha-stewart-9542234 http://www.biography.com/people/martha-stewart-9542234

schenecstasy 13y ago

Cool they are doing a creative commons open license on the footage. I'll have to do a re-edit and change the cringeworthy title.

badwetter 13y ago
Fix your link too.

rhgraysonii 13y ago

It's great to see things like this about Aaron continue to spring up. He truly was a great guy and his contributions and efforts seem as if they won't ever be forgotten. Regardless of your opinion on what he did with JSTOR, the guy truly, truly cared and believed in what he was doing and I feel anyone can respect that. It's hard to believe it has been almost a year now. RIP.

donteatbark 13y ago

In this situation, is there a notion of a "rightholder?" Someone (e.g. his family) who can sell the right to make the film?

michaelfeathers 13y ago
You don't need permission to make documentaries about people.