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Comment by easy_rider | Hacker News Reader

Sorry but uhm, didn't he undo himself? Seriously stop saying that someone "undid" him, killed him, or even take the blame for him killing himself.

Yes injustice is all around. A lot of people have been convicted for murders they have not done, later released because of new DNA evidence. These people have been in jail for decades, falsely imprisoned, and while released, their name probably never clean, but hey ...still alive.. Guess they had some sort of outlook.

Aaron was facing charges for something he knew he did was against the law, but he didn't accept the world where that thing he did was against the law.

So he took his own life.

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I think the suicide is beside the point here. The undoing was getting busted and having the book thrown at him.

The suicide is hardly beside the point. Please do note that the author is Kevin Poulsen and he writes:

"His jury trial was looming when Swartz took his own life in January, 2013.

MIT faced a firestorm of criticism in the wake of Swartz’s suicide. Critics, including Swartz’s family and prominent MIT alumni, said the institution betrayed its own principles by not advocating for less harsh treatment of Swartz."

I can't see how "undid" would point to anything other than his "not being here". His presence being undone. His life being undone. If he would have been incarcerated for life, I don't think Kevin would use the word "undid". He would print "Free Aaron" stickers, and getting the word out that this fight should not be over.

Maybe you aren't a native English speaker, so this is a misunderstanding. Despite what it literally means, "to undo" in common English usually just means "screwed over". If he had been convicted and was alive he would still have been "undone" by this video

I'm indeed not. Thanks for clarifying, and it could be, but I still think it has a double meaning. Especially in this context I think It's just insinuating and sensational.

I've actually never seen this wording being used ever, so for me it seemed quite similar to "doing someone". Yes that also means "screwing someone over" but for me, when reading "undid" a quote from the movie Trainspotting came to mind.

"Begbie didn't do drugs either. He just did people" and that involved a knife usually.

/edit: Considering the dictionary's definition I will hereby withdraw my suspect of any intent by the author to suggest that another person or entity was responsible for Aaron's death :)

From the Oxford English dictionary: undo - cause the downfall or ruin of.

I don't think, given his history of depression, that there's any easy rational explanation for his suicide.

The legal process isolated him from others because he couldn't discuss the trial with them. Even if he didn't commit suicide because of the prospect of jail time; the situation he was in (limited form of isolation) doesn't help someone with depression.

I would really like more details, from someone besides Lessig, on how he "couldn't discuss the trial" with people. That is a very very serious issue.

It's good legal advice not to discuss the trial with someone, as they can be called as witness against you. Even if you don't say anything incriminating to them, it could disrupt their life in a way that you don't want to happen.

An appropriate response would have been for Cambridge to have written him up for trespassing.

The first voice of reason I have ever seen online around this issue.

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