Look Who it Was Random video

Aaron Swartz, Freedom Fighter Innovator, Found Dead

94 views · Published 19 March 2013 · 9:09 · Indexed 13 October 2026

Channel: Digital Wraith · 2013 · Education

Watch on YouTube

"For Aaron Swartz, the act of sharing was a "moral imperative." In his Guerilla Open Access Manifesto, released to the Web in July 2008, he specifically targeted the "world's entire scientific and cultural heritage," which he said "is increasingly being digitized and locked up by a handful of private corporations." Swartz called for those with access to such knowledge to make it available to others.

You get to feed at this banquet of knowledge while the rest of the world is locked out. But you need not — indeed, morally, you cannot — keep this privilege for yourselves. You have a duty to share it with the world. And you have: trading passwords with colleagues, filling download requests for friends ... Only those blinded by greed would refuse to let a friend make a copy."*

Aaron Swartz was found dead, apparently having committed suicide after a huge federal case was mounting against him. What did he do? Why was Swartz, a brilliant hacker and innovator who wanted to spread knowledge freely so dangerous in the eyes of the government? Cenk Uygur breaks down the insanely disproportionate case against Swartz. 

*Read more from Andrew Leonard/ Salon:
http://www.salon.com/2013/01/14/aaron_swartz_freedom_fighter/

More from this channel