The Aaron Swartz story was tragic for the IT wold. We lost a pioneer in technology to suicide and many are blaming the government for Swartz’s decision to take his own life. Here is a look at our coverage of the Swartz story as more and more information unfolded.

Video

Breaking Analysis: Aaron Swartz’s Death Caused by Overreacting Government 

John Furrier points out how Aaron Swartz was looking at a 35 year prison sentence for downloading free articles from the MIT network.

“This really speaks to government injustice of hackers and internet citizens and activists,” Furrier said.

Articles

Husband of Aaron Swartz Prosecutor Defends Her Actions on Twitter

Tom Dolan pointed out Swartz was offered a six month plea bargain, but the family never mentioned it. Rep. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren drafted a bill—”Aaron’s Law”— proposing for computer abuse laws be more clear so that prosecutors won’t be able to justify disproportional punishments in the future.

GitHub Memorial for Aaron Swartz Open to All

Computer users that are able to run “git or “rake” have the opportunity to upload their own memories on the site.

A Petition to Have Massachusetts D.A. Removed From Office for Aaron Swartz Case

A petition to remove Carmen M. Ortiz from office has been going around for overstepping her boundaries.

Hounded to Death: Did Prosecutors Abuse Cybercrime Laws in Swartz Case?

Alex Stamos writes in his blog that Swartz did not meet the definition of a true hacker. He did not break CAPTCHA’s, nor did he do any parameter tampering. He also did not try to cover his tracks.

Hal Abelson Appointed by MIT President to Investigate University’s Role in Prosecution of Aaron Swartz

MIT, JSTOR, and the US DoJ are being accused of making Aaron Swartz ultimately take his own life. Founding director of Creative Commons, Hal Abelson, is leading the investigation in the death of the IT legend.

In Memory of Aaron Swartz: Take a Step Back—The Aaron Swartz Raw Nerve Essays

Here is a series of Aaron Swartz’s essays called Raw Nerve.

Aaron Greenspan is Creating Aaron Swartz Memorial Grants

Aaron Greenspan is the writer and entrepreneur of the Lost Chapter, which is the real story of how Facebook was founded, but that’s not all he has done. Greenspan also created a $10,000 memorial grant in the name of Swartz.

Cofounder of Reddit and Internet Freedom Fighter Commits Suicide After Hacking MIT — The Net Mourns

This article outlines what charges Aaron Swartz was facing, which is believed to have ultimately caused him to take his own life.

Family of Reddit CoFounder Aaron Swartz says Massachusetts and MIT Contributed to his Death

Swartz’s family believes the injustice in the system is what lead their son to hang himself in his Brooklyn apartment.

Reddit CoFounder Aaron Swartz Indicted for Data Theft, Other Hactivist Arrested

Aaron Swartz was charged with data theft in Boston after being accused of stealing over four million documents from MIT.