The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz

REMARKABLE THAT ANYBODY EVEN AT 1234 00:35:43,141 --> 00:35:45,143 THE MOST REMOTE PODUNK FIELD 1235 00:35:45,143 --> 00:35:47,112 OFFICE OF THE FBI THOUGHT THAT A 1236 00:35:47,112 --> 00:35:49,080 FITTING USE FOR TAXPAYER DOLLARS 1237 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:50,882 WAS INVESTIGATING PEOPLE FOR 1238 00:35:50,882 --> 00:35:52,751 CRIMINAL THEFT ON THE GROUNDS 1239 00:35:52,751 --> 00:35:54,253 THAT THEY HAD MADE THE LAW 1240 00:35:54,253 --> 00:35:54,953 PUBLIC. 1241 00:35:54,953 --> 00:35:56,722 HOW CAN YOU CALL YOURSELF A 1242 00:35:56,722 --> 00:35:58,257 LAWMAN AND THINK THAT THERE 1243 00:35:58,257 --> 00:36:00,259 COULD POSSIBLY BE ANYTHING WRONG 1244 00:36:00,259 --> 00:36:02,194 IN THIS WHOLE WORLD WITH MAKING 1245 00:36:02,194 --> 00:36:03,229 THE LAW PUBLIC? 1246 00:36:03,229 --> 00:36:05,197 AARON WAS WILLING TO PUT 1247 00:36:05,197 --> 00:36:07,233 HIMSELF AT RISK FOR THE CAUSES 1248 00:36:07,233 --> 00:36:08,867 THAT HE BELIEVED IN. 1249 00:36:08,867 --> 00:36:10,736 BOTHERED BY WEALTH DISPARITY, 1250 00:36:10,736 --> 00:36:12,571 SWARTZ MOVES BEYOND TECHNOLOGY 1251 00:36:12,571 --> 00:36:14,039 AND INTO A BROADER RANGE OF 1252 00:36:14,039 --> 00:36:15,807 POLITICAL CAUSES. 1253 00:36:15,807 --> 00:36:17,643 I WENT INTO CONGRESS, AND I 1254 00:36:17,643 --> 00:36:19,311 INVITED HIM TO COME AND HANG OUT 1255 00:36:19,311 --> 00:36:21,247 AND INTERN FOR US FOR A WHILE SO 1256 00:36:21,247 --> 00:36:23,081 THAT HE COULD LEARN, YOU KNOW, 1257 00:36:23,081 --> 00:36:24,850 THE POLITICAL PROCESS. 1258 00:36:24,850 --> 00:36:26,652 HE WAS SORT OF LEARNING A NEW 1259 00:36:26,652 --> 00:36:28,320 COMMUNITY, A NEW SET OF SKILLS 1260 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:30,088 AND KIND OF LEARNING TO HACK 1261 00:36:30,088 --> 00:36:30,856 POLITICS. 1262 00:36:30,856 --> 00:36:32,591 IT SEEMS RIDICULOUS THAT 1263 00:36:32,591 --> 00:36:33,792 MINERS SHOULD HAVE TO HAMMER 1264 00:36:33,792 --> 00:36:35,060 AWAY UNTIL THEIR WHOLE BODIES 1265 00:36:35,060 --> 00:36:36,328 ARE DRIPPING WITH SWEAT, FACED 1266 00:36:36,328 --> 00:36:37,796 WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT IF THEY 1267 00:36:37,796 --> 00:36:39,130 DARE TO STOP, THEY WON'T BE ABLE 1268 00:36:39,130 --> 00:36:40,366 TO PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE THAT 1269 00:36:40,366 --> 00:36:41,900 NIGHT WHILE I GET TO MAKE LARGER 1270 00:36:41,900 --> 00:36:43,201 AND LARGER AMOUNTS OF MONEY EACH 1271 00:36:43,201 --> 00:36:44,736 DAY JUST BY SITTING AND WATCHING 1272 00:36:44,736 --> 00:36:46,171 TV. 1273 00:36:46,171 --> 00:36:48,073 BUT APPARENTLY THE WORLD IS 1274 00:36:48,073 --> 00:36:49,040 RIDICULOUS. 1275 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:50,609 SO, I CO-FOUNDED A GROUP CALLED 1276 00:36:50,609 --> 00:36:51,943 THE PROGRESSIVE CHANGE CAMPAIGN 1277 00:36:51,943 --> 00:36:53,279 COMMITTEE, AND WHAT WE TRY AND 1278 00:36:53,279 --> 00:36:54,813 DO IS WE TRY AND ORGANIZE PEOPLE 1279 00:36:54,813 --> 00:36:56,214 OVER THE INTERNET WHO CARE ABOUT 1280 00:36:56,214 --> 00:36:57,749 PROGRESSIVE POLITICS AND MOVING 1281 00:36:57,749 --> 00:36:58,784 THE COUNTRY IN A MORE 1282 00:36:58,784 --> 00:37:00,252 PROGRESSIVE DIRECTION TO KIND OF 1283 00:37:00,252 --> 00:37:01,753 COME TOGETHER, JOIN OUR E-MAIL 1284 00:37:01,753 --> 00:37:03,054 LIST, JOIN OUR CAMPAIGNS, AND 1285 00:37:03,054 --> 00:37:04,390 HELP GET PROGRESSIVE CANDIDATES 1286 00:37:04,390 --> 00:37:05,891 ELECTED ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY. 1287 00:37:05,891 --> 00:37:07,659 THE GROUP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 1288 00:37:07,659 --> 00:37:09,194 IGNITING THE GRASSROOTS EFFORT 1289 00:37:09,194 --> 00:37:10,862 BEHIND THE CAMPAIGN TO ELECT 1290 00:37:10,862 --> 00:37:12,398 ELIZABETH WARREN TO THE SENATE. 1291 00:37:12,398 --> 00:37:14,165 HE MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT IT WAS 1292 00:37:14,165 --> 00:37:15,834 A DUMB SYSTEM, BUT HE CAME IN 1293 00:37:15,834 --> 00:37:17,336 AND HE SAID, "I NEED TO LEARN 1294 00:37:17,336 --> 00:37:19,004 THIS SYSTEM, 'CAUSE IT CAN BE 1295 00:37:19,004 --> 00:37:20,406 MANIPULATED LIKE ANY SOCIAL 1296 00:37:20,406 --> 00:37:21,106 SYSTEM." 1297 00:37:21,106 --> 00:37:22,941 BUT HIS PASSION FOR KNOWLEDGE 1298 00:37:22,941 --> 00:37:24,743 IN LIBRARIES DIDN'T TAKE A BACK 1299 00:37:24,743 --> 00:37:25,110 SEAT. 1300 00:37:25,110 --> 00:37:26,812 AARON BEGAN TO TAKE A CLOSER 1301 00:37:26,812 --> 00:37:28,113 LOOK AT INSTITUTIONS THAT 1302 00:37:28,113 --> 00:37:29,648 PUBLISH ACADEMIC-JOURNAL 1303 00:37:29,648 --> 00:37:30,816 ARTICLES. 1304 00:37:30,816 --> 00:37:32,351 BY VIRTUE OF BEING STUDENTS 1305 00:37:32,351 --> 00:37:34,019 AT A MAJOR U.S. UNIVERSITY, I 1306 00:37:34,019 --> 00:37:35,854 ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A 1307 00:37:35,854 --> 00:37:37,188 WIDE VARIETY OF SCHOLARLY 1308 00:37:37,188 --> 00:37:37,923 JOURNALS. 1309 00:37:37,923 --> 00:37:39,157 PRETTY MUCH EVERY MAJOR 1310 00:37:39,157 --> 00:37:40,926 UNIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES 1311 00:37:40,926 --> 00:37:42,428 PAYS THESE SORT OF LICENSING 1312 00:37:42,428 --> 00:37:44,229 FEES TO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE JSTOR 1313 00:37:44,229 --> 00:37:46,398 AND