Aaron Swartz, Precocious Programmer and Internet Activist, Dies at 26 | Hacker News Reader

Aaron Swartz, Precocious Programmer and Internet Activist, Dies at 26

nytimes.com

356 pointsguan5 comments

  Carmen M. Ortiz, a United States attorney, pressed on, 
  saying that “stealing is stealing, whether you use a 
  computer command or a crowbar, and whether you take 
  documents, data or dollars.”

...or whether you steal using your prosecutorial power to take the life of a fellow human. Ortiz should be ashamed. She stole from all of us and humanity by driving a brilliant young man who has contributed more to society than she ever will to take his own life. Think about all that he would have contributed over his lifetime. He had decades left and that is all gone. She is the biggest thief in this story.

Aaron wasn't murdered, he chose to kill himself. No need to be sensational. Who do you blame more? Aaron for getting himself in the position or Ortiz who was doing her job?

> No need to be sensational. Who do you blame more? Aaron for getting himself in the position or Ortiz who was doing her job?

That is naive.

Do US attorneys zealously prosecute every incident of "stealing" that appears on their radar?

Also, "doing your job" is an abdication of responsibility and not a justification in and of itself.

OVERdoing her job is more like it. These prosecutors need to stop going for the kill to advance their careers. However, I do like her 'let's make an example out of this one' scheme. I say let's make an example out of HER.

I am not an american and didnt really know much about Aaron Swartz before this day. Its very sad what happened and leaves alot things open.

But making a murderer out of Mrs Ortiz is taking it a step too far imo. Of course the maximum charges were outrageous and she should face the consequences for that, but a Judge would never ever have sentenced them on him in this form, and i am sure Aaron knew this. I doubt he would have gotten any jail time at all, and rightly so.

After all he suffered from severe mental illness and did not get help, there are people killing themselves because of this everyday and everywhere and if you want you could possibly always name a murderer, even if its a whole community or the whole world which made those people suffer, but those decisions arent rational or logical and shouldnt be threated as such.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com