
The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz [video] - nullc
https://archive.org/details/TheInternetsOwnBoyTheStoryOfAaronSwartz
======
nullc
This is the full 120 minute long documentary. It's a heavy watch, but
interesting to both audiences familiar with the background and ones who are
not.

In addition to the normal pay per view streaming on vimeo
([https://vimeo.com/ondemand/internetsownboy/94238859](https://vimeo.com/ondemand/internetsownboy/94238859)),
this film was also offered at an increased price under CC-By-NC-SA. I
purchased a freely licensed copy and have placed it on archive.org allowing
anyone to learn from it, share it with others, or build new works out of it
without risk of prosecution and without going through US-only paywall.

The official site for the film is at [http://www.takepart.com/internets-own-
boy](http://www.takepart.com/internets-own-boy) and the there is a Wikipedia
article at
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Internet%27s_Own_Boy:_The_S...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Internet%27s_Own_Boy:_The_Story_of_Aaron_Swartz)

~~~
rdhyee
Thanks for posting the video on archive.org. Ever since I read
[http://boingboing.net/2014/06/19/aaron-swartz-documentary-
th...](http://boingboing.net/2014/06/19/aaron-swartz-documentary-the.html),
I've been looking for a place to download the CC-licensed video. If I want to
send money to the producers of the video, how should I do so? Buy a copy of
the video from vimeo?

~~~
thinkcomp
Yes, buying from Vimeo is probably the best way to support Brian and his
colleagues.

(I am technically one of the "executive producers" but I don't make any money
from it.)

~~~
emm
I bought the video to support your team. Unfortunately it was geoblocked first
and only available in SD. Please change that.

------
RexRollman
The only thing I don't care for in all this is the deification of Swartz, as
if he played no part in the dilemma he found himself in. That said, something
need to be done about the prosecutors in this country, who overcharge and bend
the law in way not intended.

~~~
pdkl95
The community isn't really deifying Swartz.

What you're seeing is the community making him into a _martyr_.

Martyrdom is a concept that is somewhat foreign or unexpected in American
culture. Similar to the delusion that the country is somehow immune to
totalitarianism, there exists a common assumption that martyrs, like
dictators, only happen "in those other, less free countries".

The very nature of what it means for someone to be a martyr basically
guarantees that people will react strongly. This is why they can be a unifying
force ("we must ${dangerous_but_important_task} for ${martyr}!"). This is also
why the more talented oppressors take steps to prevent martyrs such as having
them "disappeared".

I see this situation as similar to the question of what to do with the medical
data acquired from the Nazi camps. A good argument can be made for both sides,
but in the end we should make use of the resources we have.

So if it takes some "deification" or get the _larger_ community to finally
wake up and _do_ something about these prosecutors (and other related people),
then I would suggest that any "deification" at least served an important
purpose. Given that Swartz spent a lot of time and energy trying to get people
to do just that (wake up and actually _fight_ the "big" problems in our
society), then... I suspect he would have approved for the same reason.

~~~
Shivetya
This generation needs better martyrs.

As for waking up the community to do something? Which community? Certainly not
this one. This community goes out of their way to elect their own oppressors
and justifies the vilifying all those who on the other side prior to any
election. Yet they have the gall to turn around and claim they are oppressed?
Look, when you willingly, nigh joyfully, watch as they take over your
healthcare you cannot then truly expect privacy can you? You cannot suddenly
expect that they really care about you do you? Your just one wrong protest
away from being in jail.

Hence the term slacktivist, which applies to most of those cheering Aaron on.
Never walked a protest line in their life, but ooh they may have downloaded a
song they didn't pay for.

~~~
dwaltrip
Yep, clearly, the dumb Americans deserve everything that comes to them. Thank
you for sharing your bold insights.

------
ZenPro
I cannot get around the fact that he was offered leniency (6 months in a low
security prison) in return for a plea bargain.

He rejected that deal, opting instead for a trial in which prosecutors would
have been forced to justify their pursuit of him.

Fair enough - noble and principled if a little foolhardy.

Then he committed suicide.

Given the choice of ending my life or taking 6 months in jail; I know which is
the more mentally stable option to take.

~~~
1stop
You are ascribing your own situation to the problem and pretending it is the
same.

Everyone thinks they are completely reasonable, but the fact is our brain
convinces us we are even when we are not.

Unless you've actually been someone else, how can you know what it is like?

~~~
ZenPro
Just to be clear; your assertion is that no human being make a reasonable or
educated guess about their behaviour in a situation that is unfamiliar?

That is your assertion?...because it is nonsense if it is. As humans we make
effective, educated guesses about unfamiliar scenarios all of the time.

I also don't physically need to be charged with wire fraud to know that I
would not take my own life over it leaving behind my children. Children, if
convicted today, I would be able to see again before Christmas.

However - if you want to get [really] meta over the subject then your logic
defeats itself.

 _Unless you have actually been me how can you know that I am not completely
accurate in my assessment of myself?_

Your stated position has rendered you unable to disagree with me. Since you
are not me.

~~~
1stop
The irony of this complete garble of a comment trying to convince people that
we are always reasonable is quite amazing.

Have you done that on purpose?

Anyway, in the off chance you aren't intending to do an awesome display of
irony:

\- People can be reasonable, but they are bad at knowing when they are and
aren't.

\- Empathy is not applying someones situation to yourself, but instead
applying yourself to someones situation (This is non-commutative).

\- Empathy can help reason but is not required by it.

I'm not really suggesting anything controversial so I'm surprised at your
adversarial responses. It's almost like we are just stuck in a "Someone is
wrong on the internet" loop here.

~~~
ZenPro
So, ultimately, your assertion is that people cannot make educated guesses
about their behaviour in unfamiliar situations?

OK. The world is awash with people receiving a criminal sentencing and then
killing themselves. It's unfortunate we don't have _any_ data whatsoever to
disprove that...

Well done, Sir. You win the internet today. Aaron Schwarz taking his own life
instead of facing a maximum of 6 months in prison is completely normal.

~~~
1stop
> So, ultimately, your assertion is that people cannot make educated guesses
> about their behaviour in unfamiliar situations?

I didn't say that at all, but you do love a strawman don't you.

> Aaron Schwarz taking his own life instead of facing a maximum of 6 months in
> prison is completely normal.

Plea bargain of 6 months + felony charge was turned down. He was facing ~35
years + felony charge. But don't let the facts stop your rightousness ;-)

> It's unfortunate we don't have any data whatsoever to disprove that...

But we do:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide#Psychosocial_states](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide#Psychosocial_states)

You'll note that: Hopelessness, loss of pleasure, depression and anxiousness
all increase the likelihood of suicide. It's pretty reasonable for us to
assume Aaron was feeling at least one of those. Again, lets not let fact or
data get in the way of your "informed" opinion.

~~~
ZenPro
Oh dear -

1\. Misunderstanding of felony charges are stated and subsequently sentenced.
Check.

2\. Misunderstanding of compared suicide rates to criminal sentencing. Check.

3\. Comnplete misreading of my sarcasm reagrding lack of data. Check.

You are just emabrassing yourself, honestly.

You could have every data point in the world suggesting the factors that
contribute to suicidal feeling.

None of it proves criminal sentencing results in the normative behaviour of
suicide. Again we are returning to common sense, we know that criminals are
not killing themselves on masse.

This is getting stupid now. You are clearly not trolling and genuinely think
you are on to something.

Suicide is not normal neither is it normal for anyone to kill themselves in
response to the potential of being found guilty.

It happens, but it is not normal.

Please feel free to continue arguing. It is interesting to watch someone
logically eat their own argument.

~~~
1stop
Please explain 1. He was facing 35 years (if he lost) and would be labeled a
felon losing his right to vote and aspirations of working in politics. How is
that misunderstood?

Other than being a smug cunt, you haven't actually said anything that refuted
what I said. I've given you data and reason to explain why someone would kill
themselves in a similar situation but you are caught up on your own definition
of normal (being 50.1%) which I also refuted earlier. So I'm going to go with
my earlier statement: You are just a smug cunt, and you enjoy it.

I wasn't trolling no, but I was/am clearly being trolled. Well done.

~~~
ZenPro
Oh dear moody moody moody.

1\. He was facing 6 months for a plea bargain. Several other lawyers have
already commented here how felony charges are listed sequentially as maximum
sentencing but that is not how years are applied. It is now becoming boring to
have to school you.

2\. You have given absolutely fuck all data to support anything of interest.
Please provide the data that says people facing a criminal trial have a
tendanecy to kill themselves. Let's forget "normal" etc. Just a _tendency_
will be sufficient.

3\. I am smug. I am smug because a prick like you decided to try and nitpick
my comment and you embarrased yourself.

4\. I didn't troll. You are just wrong. Suicide is not normal. Schwarz killing
himself was not normal. The end.

~~~
1stop
[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2262831/Revealed-
Aar...](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2262831/Revealed-Aaron-Swartz-
prosecutor-drove-hacker-suicide-2008-named-cyber-crime-case.html)

~~~
ZenPro
You are clearly a moron. Not just wrong but an out and out moron.

Posting a link to a story from the Daily Mail is the argumentative equivalent
of shooting yourself in the face.

Widely regarded as the worst newspaper in the United Kingdom. Please don't
respond. You are seriously embarrassing yourself.

~~~
1stop
The same information is in the documentary, and wikipedia. And actually
happened in real life, regardless of where you source the information from.

~~~
ZenPro
...and how has that backed up _anything_ you have said?

I already know Schwarz killed himself. I already know the prosecutor was
zealous.

So, either post the aggregated data that shows accused parties kill themselves
prior to trial or simply STFU. I am not joking it really is embarrassing for
you.

~~~
1stop
> So, either post the aggregated data that shows accused parties kill
> themselves prior to trial or simply STFU.

Is that how debate works, you posit a random ultimatum or else discussion
over. Interesting, explains a lot though.

Schwartz and James, both killed themselves while under prosecution. James
specifically called out the prosecution (and his impending conviction) as the
reason for his suicide (in a suicide note).

An honest question, do you think it just random chance that two people facing
similar charges by the same prosecutor both killed themselves?

~~~
ZenPro
I couldn't care if the prosecutor killed them with his bare hands. You
disagreed that suicide is abnormal.

Post the data that suggests suicide is normal and stop running from your
earlier statements.

~~~
1stop
> You disagreed that suicide is abnormal.

Well that was actually in the other thread, this one I just said you lacked
empathy to understand the situation, I've now pointed out someone in exactly
the same position made exactly the same choice. So even if you lack empathy,
you can understand it just from a logical point of view: "Hmm, pressure from
prosecutors can make people kill themselves. Interesting phenomena".

Back to the "normal" arguement: I've posted that in the context of a
prosecution that was handing down a sizable sentence (Probably not as high as
35) but not as low as 6 months (which is what you said), Suicide is a fairly
understandable outcome. I gave you the links in wikipedia, and showed you two
cases where it happened.

Now is normal == understandable?

~~~
ZenPro
I understand the situation.

The sentence offered was exactly 6 months. So it was quite as low as 6 months.
It was 6 months.

Suicide is not an understandable outcome. It was rash, irrational and
abnormal. There is nothing more to discuss. You are simply wrong. the best
part is, you _know_ it as well. We both know you know it.

You showed me two cases where it happened. I can show you over 100,000 cases
this year where it didn't happen. I can show you millions of cases where it
didn't happen. I can show you 10's of millions of cases where it didn't
happen. Literally, every single prisoner in prison didn't kill themselves.

[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/uk/06/prisons/html/nn2...](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/uk/06/prisons/html/nn2page1.stm)

------
thrush
I've just watched this with my roommates, and I think we're in consensus that
Aaron's beliefs, to make the Public Domain actually public and universally
share information so that we may be push forward the progress of humanity, are
undoubtedly correct.

What I would like to know at this time is how to make Aaron's beliefs a
reality. What can I do? What can my roommates do? What can anyone do?

Ideally, I also don't think that this is a zero sum game. We can all be
winners. I'd like to believe that we can all be winners.

~~~
thinkcomp
Here's one option:

[http://legalinformatics.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/operation-a...](http://legalinformatics.wordpress.com/2013/01/20/operation-
asymptote-crowdsources-the-freeing-of-pacer-content/)

[http://www.plainsite.org/asymptote/](http://www.plainsite.org/asymptote/)

Another is to write to your representatives in Congress demanding
accountability for prosecutors and Stephen Heymann in particular. The web
forms actually do get tallied by interns and closely monitored by staffers
when there's a spike.

~~~
thrush
I appreciate your suggestion, but I feel like there's more to do, and I'd like
to do more.

~~~
thinkcomp
I think Aaron would have advocated--as the movie aptly points out--a re-
thinking of one's approach to life in a way that involves more political
activism than we're typically used to, versus a one-time reaction. There's a
wide range of political issues for people to make their voices heard on.

Directly related to Aaron's interests, I'm suing the Courts over PACER and
other related issues. See
[http://www.plainsite.org/dockets/29himg3wm/california-
northe...](http://www.plainsite.org/dockets/29himg3wm/california-northern-
district-court/think-computer-foundation-et-al-v-administrative-office-of-the-
united-states-courts-et-al/) , where document 23, the First Amended Complaint,
is the main one to read. If anyone wants to file an amicus brief/write a
letter to the judge in the case and/or the Administrative Office of the
Courts, this would be a good time to do it.

~~~
thrush
You have excellent suggestions. I will try to follow up.

A strategy that I am taking is the promotion of Computer Science education and
the use of open source technology. Computer Science needs to be cheaper,
easier and more attractive to learn. We need more teachers, better
communication between the school and the office, and more girls studying CS.

------
staunch
"Hackers for right, we are one down, we have lost one of our own." \- TimBL

------
sparkzilla
I made a timeline of Swartz' life [http://newslines.org/aaron-
swartz/](http://newslines.org/aaron-swartz/) Feel free to update if you see
something missing.

~~~
pa5tabear
I assume something's wrong with him attending Stanford in 2000 (or being born
in 1986).

He didn't go to college when he was 14/15, did he?

~~~
sparkzilla
Thanks for the tip.

------
thinkcomp
Some links to relevant legal proceedings / profiles:

USA v. Swartz: [http://www.plainsite.org/dockets/my5tdot8/massachusetts-
dist...](http://www.plainsite.org/dockets/my5tdot8/massachusetts-district-
court/usa-v-swartz/)

Stephen P. Heymann: [http://www.plainsite.org/attorneys/united-states-
department-...](http://www.plainsite.org/attorneys/united-states-department-
of-justice/stephen-p-heymann/)

Think Computer Foundation et al v. Administrative Office of the United States
Courts et al: [http://www.plainsite.org/dockets/29himg3wm/california-
northe...](http://www.plainsite.org/dockets/29himg3wm/california-northern-
district-court/think-computer-foundation-et-al-v-administrative-office-of-the-
united-states-courts-et-al/)

~~~
Maxious
"Your activity looks suspicious to us. Please prove that you're human."

~~~
thinkcomp
We get a lot of scraping activity from China, Russia, and Europe. You probably
have an IP from somewhere we've seen actual suspicious activity from. Sorry!

~~~
1stop
I get that message from within Australia... we don't even have the bandwidth
to scape a website ;-)

------
hookshot
Aaron's Law was just recently introduced:

[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr2454#overview](https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr2454#overview)

There is a really great talk by Lessig about the legal issues surrounding the
case at
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HAw1i4gOU4#t=44m39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HAw1i4gOU4#t=44m39).
After seeing the debate around the movie, this quote really stuck out at me:

"He was a citizen who felt a moral obligation to do what he believed was
right. And if he is guilty here it is because he acted on that view of what
was right. And we need to act to respect that act of citizenship. To think
beyond what Aaron did, to think beyond what was done to him, to think about
the ideals he gave everything in his life to, and to make those ideals the
law."

------
kayoone
While i believe in the underlying vision that drove Swartz to his actions, the
person that killed Swartz was Swartz himself.

Prosecutors overcharge and bend the law all the time, still we don't see mass
suicides from the "victims". Swartz obviously had some other unrelated issues
that drove him to this extreme.

~~~
1stop
What is the suicide rate for people facing felony prosecution?

What is their typical socio-economic status? Is that a factor?

My bet is, you don't know the answer to either of those questions, so the
"obviously" in your statement is misplaced.

~~~
kayoone
Its clear by reading his older articles about his reddit past and such that he
had some trouble adjusting to a "normal" live. He did not seem like an
emotionally stable person to me, even before his suicide.

~~~
1stop
Your in depth analysis of his emotional state through blog posts?

Exactly what is a "normal" life? and what adjustments are required to achieve
it? What kind of trouble did he have with those adjustments?

~~~
ZenPro
Normal life is not suicide.

I say that as someone who has talked two people out of suicide. Suicide not a
normal emotional, biological or mental state for any living creature.

What exactly is wrong with judging someone through a large canon of blog
posts?

I am sure you would have no trouble judging the mental state of the Westboro
Baptist Church members through their blog posts.

~~~
1stop
So are you making a value judgement or an empirical judgement?

How many people would have to commit suicide (per capita) for it to be
considered "normal"? Does the same measure apply to other "fringe" choices in
life, Alcohol, drugs, sexuality, etc?

If it isn't based on numbers, then you are just making a value judgement...
And if one doesn't share your values, they can simply disagree with you.

~~~
ZenPro
50.1% of all living things for it to be biologically normal.

50.1% of human beings for it to be emotionally normal.

But; let's also add your comment is nonsense. I don't need empirical data to
state suicide is not normal.

I am a human being, that is alive and capable of reason.

The HN propensity for immediately crying foul at _lack of empirical evidence_
is almost child like.

Are you that incapable of applying reasoned judgement to your daily life?

On another tangent; Why do you think sexuality is a choice? That statement
alone shows you are not equipped to discuss the issue with any thing
resembling common sense or informed opinion.

You are just tossing out a bunch of arbitrary control questions that mean
nothing.

~~~
1stop
Sexuality is a choice, but isn't always, I can choose different forms of it,
are you denying that choice? Are you saying because some people can't choose
others are not allowed to?

By your definition of "Normal" Black people aren't normal... Nor are white
people... erm.. Nor are Indian... or asian... Or christians, or especially not
athiests... As there aren't 50.1% of any of them (Compared with the entire
species/race). You've reduced "Normal" to "Human"

Or perhaps we could admit, that "Normal" is itself a value judgement, and
based on social stigma and culture?

> I am a human being, that is alive and capable of reason.

No, you are clearly a Judeo-christian pushing his "beliefs" on other people
pretending it is reason. Suicide is accepted in some cultures (modern and
historic). But clearly not yours. And admittedly not Aaron's either, but
calling him abnormal for being distressed (and ultimately committing suicide)
for being persecuted for something he thought was harmless/for the good, is a
strange viewpoint in my mind (just as mine seems strange to you I suspect).

> That statement alone shows you are not equipped to discuss the issue with
> any thing resembling common sense or informed opinion.

Well clearly, given I'm arguing that your nebulous concept of 'normal' and
'common sense' are in fact flawed by your own definition.

But hey, it is much easier to dismiss an alternative point of view, than to
internalise and understand it.

BTW: You don't have to be such a dick in your responses, just because what
someone (myself in this instance) says something you don't agree with, doesn't
mean you should attack and belittle them. While I am reaching for some
intellectual high ground in this comment, your words were still hurtful.

~~~
ZenPro
You have misunderstood me. My point was sexuality is _never_ a choice. Acting
on impulse is a choice; suffering from impulse is not.

I suggest you go back and re-read what I have written before you embarrass
yourself further.

I never brought race into the equation. In order for suicide to be considered
the norm it would have be the de facto standard for living organisms. Roughly,
50.1% of all living creatures. I can cite 7 examples that back up my claim -
Movement Respiration Sensitivity Growth Reproduction Excretion Nutrition

Common sense also tells us that suicide cannot be normal behaviour otherwise
all biological organisms would eventually degrade to 0 lifeforms.

If my words are hurtful it is because time and time again we see posters on HN
tossing out absolutely junk statements that they think are well-informed. When
pressed they resort to an argumentative form of

 _Present [ALL] evidence [EVER] or I reject reasoned opinions._

Normally the follow us is something along the lines of

*Your [SOURCE/RESEARCH/DATA] is flawed because of [UTTERLY INTANGIBLE REASON].

There comes a time when, as a person and a member of society you have to
accept that we are not living in a simulation but that the evidence in front
of you is actually satisfactory.

Suicide is not normal. It was ludicrous and silly for you to toss out a random
objection to my statement.

~~~
ZenPro
haha voted down for saying suicide is not normal.

Stay classy HN :-)

------
stephenitis
I'm wondering... has anyone really opened JSTOR and their equivalents to the
world yet? appears no.

edit* there is not technology and science resource available for
congressmen??? smh...

~~~
OvidNaso
Apparently, everything Aaron downloaded is available at theinfo.org. Nobody
has really done anything (apparent) with it. The site is down now, so maybe
that is an indication this doc has inspired something in someone.

------
jaseemabid
Can we all be good netizens and torrent rather than overload Archive servers?
Not enough seeders right now.

~~~
1stop
torrents feel like they should be part of the browser. It seems odd we rely on
ISPs to do local level caching, when we could actually do a lot of it
ourselves. (Think how many streams of the world cup are floating around on the
internet right now...)

~~~
nullc
Last mile bandwidth tends to be a lot more expensive than more centralized
data center bandwidth— moving traffic out to the edge is just not very
attractive in general.

------
gdewilde
"The Startup Trying to Replace Congress With Software Is Running Two
Candidates"

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7960110](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=7960110)

------
stephenitis
40 min through is a pretty good tribute to his life, humanity, and values.
10/10 It takes a turn a focus on prosecutorial zeal afterwards. 6/10

~~~
electromagnetic
I had a couple opportunities to talk with him, and being part of the early
reddit community, I thought the first 40 mins were a good tribute to who he
was.

