Aaron H. Swartz (November 8, 1986 – January 11, 2013) was an American computer programmer, writer, archivist, political organizer, andInternet activist.

Swartz was a member of the RSS-DEV Working Group that co-authored the “RSS 1.0” specification of RSS,^[2] and built the Web site framework web.py and the architecture for the Open Library. He also built Infogami, a company that merged with Reddit in its early days, through which he became an equal owner of the merged company.^[i] Swartz also focused on sociology, civic awareness and activism. In 2010 he was a member of the Harvard University Center for Ethics. He cofounded the online group Demand Progress (known for its campaign against SOPA) and later worked with US and international activist groups Rootstrikers and Avaaz.

On January 6, 2011, Swartz was arrested in connection with systematic downloading of academic journal articles from JSTOR, which became the subject of a federal investigation.^[3][4] Swartz opposed JSTOR’s practice of compensating publishers, rather than authors, out of the fees it charges for access to articles. Swartz contended that JSTOR’s fees limited access to academic work produced at American colleges and universities.^[5][6]

On January 11, 2013, Swartz was found dead in his Crown Heights, Brooklyn apartment, where he hanged himself.^{[7][8][9][10]} One commentator wrote that “His case highlights society’s uncertain, evolving view of how to treat people who break into computer systems and share data not to enrich themselves, but to make it available to others.”^[11]

 

** UPDATE **

The Life and Afterlife of Aaron Swartz

By Wesley Yang, New York Magazine  09 February 13

** UPDATE **

Who was Aaron Swartz ?

Anonymous hacks M.I.T. in tribute to Aaron.

Meet U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz, one of President Obama’s mistakes.

Petition to remove United States District Attorney Carmen Ortiz from office for overreach in the case of Aaron Swartz.

10 Awful Crimes That Get You Less Prison Time Than What Aaron Swartz Faced for Freeing JSTOR Articles.

MIT did not speak out against the prosecution’s case, now they’re ‘investigating themselves’.

JSTOR did not want Aaron prosecuted.  Here is their statement.