Aaron Swartz death is really sad in so many ways. I think this is the post about it that speaks to me most personally.

Aaron Swartz is what I wish I was. I am a bright technologist, but I’ve never built anything of note. I have strong opinions about how to improve this world, but I’ve never acted to bring them to pass. I have thoughts every day that I would share with the world, but I allow my fears to convince me to keep them to myself. If I were able to stop being afraid of what the world would think of me, I could see myself making every decision that Aaron made that ultimately led to his untimely death. This upsets me immensely. I am upset that we have a justice system that would persecute me the way it did Aaron. I am upset that I have spent 27 years of my life having made no discernible difference to the world around me. Most of all I am upset that Aaron’s work here is done when there is so much more he could have accomplished.

It’s definitely reading the whole post.

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This is an interesting conceptual model for how we think about other people.

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• Philip K. Dick, Minority Report
• Ian Fleming, Diamonds are Forever
• Forbidden Planet
• Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
• The King and I

As pointed out in the article, what incentive for creating is provided, by extending copyright on already created works?!

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