sanitized.html

<p><strong>Adam Rodriguez, Cambridge, MA, United States, MIT Undergraduate student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Thomas Calahan, Cambridge, MA, USA, Martinos Center at MGH</strong> While MIT is not nearly as culpable as the lead prosecutor involved, MIT at this moment is able to play a more active role in making sure Aaron's legacy is not lost. If another SOPA/PIPA is introduced in congress and MIT is silent, I will know then that Aaron's courage and spirit has also died within all of us.</p>
<p><strong>Marcel Boris, Paris, France</strong></p>
<p><strong>Kevin Mark, Brooklyn, NY, USA</strong> do the right thing.</p>
<p><strong>Holly Durso, Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nicole Aptekar, San Francisco, Ca, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Joanne Robb, Traverse City, MI, usa, just an average citizen stunned regarding the circumstances of death of this remarkable young man</strong></p>
<p><strong>James Madden, Cambridge, MA, MCP 2010</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nisha Gupta, Pittsburgh , PA, USA, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nick Janikian, Sparta, New Jersey, United States</strong> Aaron's family and friends deserve a proper and public apology.</p>
<p><strong>Seth Rosenblatt</strong></p>
<p><strong>Janet Li, Boston, MA, USA, 2013</strong></p>
<p><strong>Colin Steinmann, Saint Paul, MN, USA</strong> It is the duty of an academic institution to defend it's students rights. Aaron was a brilliant mind, and did no wrong. The least MIT can do is apologize &amp; work to prevent further tragedies of this nature in the future.</p>
<p><strong>Ian Baker, San Francisco, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Elinor Mills, San Francisco, California, USA</strong> Shameful!</p>
<p><strong>kyle mckinley, santa cruz, ca</strong> I had the honor and pleasure of meeting a very young aaron swartz at stanford some years ago; his enthusiasm for life and knowledge was contagious. Swartz sought to remind us all of our complicity in preventing the free sharing of knowledgea freedom that might transform the world. His death is a moment for us all to re-examine those complicities, and is an opportunity for MIT to examine their own complicity in his death. To fail to do so in an open, honest, and transparent manner is to admit the worst.</p>
<p><strong>Wendy Johnson, ny, ny, usa</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dany Qumsiyeh, alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rachel Boyce, Boston, MA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jason Li</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jacob Steinhardt, Sunnyvale, CA, USA, MIT '12</strong></p>
<p><strong>Edward Burnell, MIT 2013</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michael Pruett, San Diego, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Daniel Fourie, San Mateo, CA, USA, 2012</strong></p>
<p><strong>Emily Lydic, Cambridge, MA, United States, MIT Undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Noah Swartz</strong></p>
<p><strong>Donna Spear, Seattle, WA, USA</strong> Please right this wrong.</p>
<p><strong>Alec Thomson, Boston, MA, Grad Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Geore Whiteman, Northfield, Illinois, United States of America</strong></p>
<p><strong>Zachary Ozer, New York, NY, Alum 07</strong></p>
<p><strong>Professor Daniel Martin Katz, East Lansing, MI, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Deena Wang, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Aimi Watanabe, Leipzig, Saachsen, Germany, alum</strong> The MIT community extends to a population far wider than the student population. As a institute which claims to nurture genius and growth, it is a shame to witness an event of outright oppression of ideals. As an academic institution, MIT's strength comes directly from the brilliant students and the community that they create in Cambridge. MIT's inaction was not reflective of the community opinion, and was a tragic abuse of its institutional power.</p>
<p><strong>Nolan Essigmann, Cambridge, MA, USA, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>CJ Carr, Roxbury, MA, USA, StartLabs, hackathons</strong> The death of Aaron Swartz has really got me in tears. He could've been me or any one of us.</p>
<p><strong>Jessica Leitch, Menlo Park, Ca, USA, None</strong> RIP Aaron Swartz - It's a shame that money and time (both MIT and our government tax dollars) were wasted this way!</p>
<p><strong>Kathryn Maynes, Boston, MA, USA</strong> Please consider how large a proportion of research is funded by taxpayers, and think this matter through responsibly. Civilization awaits.</p>
<p><strong>Kevin Gallagher, Amherst, MA, USA, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Simon Kornblith</strong></p>
<p><strong>John Collins, San Jose, CA, USA</strong> The way this man was treated is a disgrace, and you could've done much more to stop it.</p>
<p><strong>Josh Levinger, Oakland, CA, USA, SB 16 2007, MS Media Lab 2010</strong> As an alum and a friend of Aaron, I am ashamed at the Institute's role in his persecution. This is not a new phenomenon; MIT boasts about hacks for publicity and recruitment, but then throws their architects to the legal wolves when they &quot;cross the line.&quot;</p>
<p>As a community, we need to reconsider how to handle these cases. Where were we for Star Simpson when she had a gun pointed at her head for wearing LEDs in Logan ? Or Zack Anderson, RJ Ryan and Alessandro Chiesa when they were gag-ordered against presenting at DEFCON about the weaknesses of the CharlieCard?</p>
<p>Sure, we're all proud of the police car on the dome, but the Office of General Counsel is too often protecting the institution, not the students and researchers and hackers who make MIT what it claims to be.</p>
<p><strong>Samuel Markson, MIT 2012</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jeremy Flores, Bay Area, California, US, MIT S.B. 2010</strong></p>
<p><strong>Roxana Safipour, Englewood, CO, USA, Alum 2009</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robert Chase, Denver, CO</strong> MIT's role in this affair, passive though it may have been, is a permanent blot on its integrity. MIT should not only apologize, but make all research papers in JSTOR available online for free and champion the aims of the Free Culture movement.</p>
<p><strong>Claudia Gold, San Francisco, CA, United States, Alum c/o 2007</strong> Dear MIT,</p>
<p>As an alum, I enjoy contributing yearly to help other students have the same fantastic experience I had. This year, I won't be contributing as a result of MIT's involvement with Aaron's death unless an apology is issued presently.</p>
<p>Sincerely, Claudia Gold c/o 2007</p>
<p><strong>Dan Wheeler, san francisco, ca, usa, alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Melissa Boyd, New Brunswick, NJ, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Yonadav Shavit, Cambridge, MA, United States of America, Student</strong> Hi MIT, I'm an undergrad here, and I just think that, according to the spirit and values of this institution, it would be best to admit to any fault we might have had. Posturing doesn't suit us.</p>
<p><strong>Manushaqe Muco, Boston, MA, USA, undergraduate student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Elizabeth Riley, Cambridge, MA, USA, Course 20 2008</strong></p>
<p><strong>Courtney Hilliard, Cambridge, MA, USA, Class of 2010</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michael Coen, Madison, WI, USA, Alum: S.B., S.M., and Ph.D.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Patrick McHugh, Winnetka, IL, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Kayla Meduna, undergrad</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jessica Li, CA, U.S.A., Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>tom johnston, Orillia, On, Canada</strong></p>
<p><strong>Karen Wickert, Newton , MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robert McCauley, Illinois, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Devon Dimercurio, Chico, CA, 95973</strong></p>
<p><strong>Heidi Baumgartner, Cambridge, MA, USA, undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rajeev Ruparell, Toronto, Ontario, Canadian</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sean Stevens, Charlestown, MA, USA</strong> Hey, come on.</p>
<p><strong>Boram Lee</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alec Williams, Cambridge, MA, USA, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jaime Herazo, Terrassa, Barcelona, España</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ranbel Sun, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Brian Jenkins, Alameda, California, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Reena Joubert, Woods Hole, MA, former undergraduate, taking a gap year</strong></p>
<p><strong>Darija Tešanović</strong> Right to free informations, especially of public interests like education, health, wellfare etc.</p>
<p><strong>Ashley Nash, Washington, DC, USA, alum</strong> An apology is too little too late. There was no reason for this, and I expect better from MIT, or at least, I did.</p>
<p><strong>Sascha Drews, Toronto, ON, CANADA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jacqueline North</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sam Bauman, Undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rory Kirchner</strong> Aaron Swartz was a perfect example of the spirit that MIT celebrates every time a tour group strolls through MIT showing off the hacks in the Stata Center. Before he died I just assumed that he was an MIT alumni because he was the type of subversive, intelligent person that you associate with MIT. The administration turning their backs on Aaron is inexcusable and a tacit rejection of its own culture. The administration should apologize not only to Aaron but to the entire MIT community; through their inaction they have damaged part of the magic of MIT.</p>
<p><strong>Michael Vincent, Brooklyn, NY, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Chris Varenhorst, Wichita, KS, USA, Alum '09</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mikel Sagues, Pamplona, Nafarroa, Spain</strong></p>
<p><strong>Benjamin Lerner, Brooklyn, NY, 2012</strong></p>
<p><strong>Theodore Hilk, Cambridge, MA, United States, 02139</strong> Release the names of those within the MIT administration who refused to accept a plea bargain without jail time. Anything less would be utterly Kafkaesque.</p>
<p><strong>Micah Daigle, San Francisco, CA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Noah Vickstein</strong> You are probably tempted to place blame elsewhere. The truth is that you, me, we all are implicated in this tragedy. Greed, control, and retribution are hallmarks of our shared, inherited culture; that is why it is imperative that you issue a public statement so that future tragedies like this can have a precedent of preemption.</p>
<p>It's too late to change the past. But never is it too late to begin building a future that honors it.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>N</p>
<p><strong>Thomas McLarney, Dorchester, MA, United States</strong> Please do the right thing this time.</p>
<p><strong>Ruth Miller, Oakland, CA, USA, Class of 2007</strong> It's insulting that MIT wraps itself in a history of hacking and open access, and then punishes this individual at the same time.</p>
<p><strong>Derek Overstreet, Chandler, AZ, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Peggy Taranenko, Marina, CA, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>Keshav Dhandhania</strong></p>
<p><strong>Brian Neltner, Somerville, MA, United States, alumni</strong> Not asking for a premature apology, but MIT under Hockfield was far too complacent about this sort of thing. I imagine the results of the investigation will demonstrate this, and hopefully provide new guidelines for improving MIT's abysmal track record with these sorts of things (as indicated by the response to star, among other less egregious abuses).</p>
<p><strong>Zak Fallows, Watertown, MA, USA, Alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>Elizabeth Santorella, Cambridge, MA, United States, Undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nicholas Joliat, Cambridge, MA, USA, Alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bruna Moscol, MIT undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Keri-Lee Garel, 2010, current staff</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mark Ferguson</strong> He didn't hurt anyone, yet, he was given a sentence that would without a doubt cause him to kill himself. I'm in no way condoning what he did, but it seems we're going back to the days where it was a prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread. People have the right to information and denying this right is the worser crime.</p>
<p>RIP Aaron Swartz. You never knew me, but I'll always remember you.</p>
<p><strong>Rémi Rispal</strong> It's not too late to change.</p>
<p><strong>Kyle Brogle, San Francisco, CA, USA, SIPB</strong></p>
<p><strong>Zachary McDowell, Springfield, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ness Creighton, Atlanta, GA, US</strong> As an academic, I am ashamed of what you did to this man. As someone who has battled my own mental health issues, I am terrified of what you did to this man.</p>
<p><strong>Lise Hobeika</strong></p>
<p><strong>Melissa Skan, undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shicong Xie, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Eben Freeman, Cambridge, MA, USA, MIT undergrad</strong></p>
<p><strong>Edward Harris, Austin, TX, United States, None</strong> Please develop a consistent policy with regards to incidents like these. Escalating to the Feds in this case lead to the death of one so young who had so much promise. As a parent, I grieve for the world's loss.</p>
<p><strong>janice savonen, Edwards, Co, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Gayle Jessup White, Washington, DC, USA, Parent</strong></p>
<p><strong>Aidan Bevacqua, Cambridge, MA, USA, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Davis Hunt, Boston, MA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dhaval Adjodah, Cambridge, MA, USA, student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ian Daniher, Needham, MA, USA, Affiliate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jacki Crawford, Doylestown, Pa, USA</strong> I went to Graduate School in Cambridge and have many friends associated with MIT. I have always held the school in high regard for it's innovation and commitment to the pursuit of Open Source Science and Creative Genius.... WHAT HAPPENED HERE? A sad case of too little too late perhaps... But I am glad to see that there is an internal investigation underway.</p>
<p><strong>Colin McSwiggen, Cincinnati, OH, USA, alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>William Mason</strong></p>
<p><strong>John Dill, Charlestown, Ma, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shulin Ye, Cambridge, Ma, USA, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Margaret Hagan</strong></p>
<p><strong>Paul Kreiner, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Luke Scott, Liverpool, Merseyside, Uk</strong></p>
<p><strong>nathan lachenmyer, cambridge, ma, aluminu</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hans Johansson</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lauren Pespisa, Cambridge, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Geoffrey Maciolek, Fairfield, ME, United States, A Fan</strong></p>
<p><strong>Niema Hirsch, mother of alumni</strong></p>
<p><strong>Luke Walsh, Liverpool, Merseyside, UK</strong> A public apology is the least you could do.</p>
<p><strong>Shefali Oza, alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Giedrius Blazys, Vilnius, Lithuania, None</strong> Open access supporter</p>
<p><strong>Jennifer Quinn, Los Angeles, California, USA</strong> For shame.</p>
<p><strong>Soohyun Park, undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Trevor Bekolay, Waterloo, ON, Canada</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michael Silver</strong></p>
<p><strong>Madeline Hickman, Cambridge, MA, USA, MIT '11</strong></p>
<p><strong>Brandon Sorbom, Cambridge, MA, USA, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Catherine Olsson, Cambridge, MA, USA, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alison McDonald, University Park, IL, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Angela Pineo, Flint, Michigan, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Derek Hovde</strong> Do the right thing.</p>
<p><strong>Harry Richman, Cambridge, MA, USA, undergraduate</strong> &quot;Justice is conscience, not a personal conscience but the conscience of the whole of humanity. Those who clearly recognize the voice of their own conscience usually recognize also the voice of justice.&quot; -Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn</p>
<p><strong>Ward McKonly, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America</strong></p>
<p><strong>Daniel Liang, Toronto, Ontario, Canada</strong></p>
<p><strong>A. Axelrod, alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Russell Ryan, Cambridge, MA, USA, S.B '09, M.Eng '11 EECS</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nick Badger, East Cleveland, OH, United States, Friend of graduates</strong> I understand the incredible complexity of situations like this, but the core intent of this petition I can absolutely support. Institutions of higher learning should not remain silent when such terrible circumstances happen: it is their responsibility to present a voice of objective reason in difficult emotional times. To remain silent is to ignore the broken existence that many students (and citizens) experience.</p>
<p><strong>Star Simpson, Oakland, CA, USA, ex-student</strong></p>
<p><strong>shen huang, alumna</strong></p>
<p><strong>william burnworth, wilton manors, fl, usa</strong></p>
<p><strong>Afian Anwar, Cambridge, MA, Usa, CSAIL</strong> Shame on you MIT</p>
<p><strong>Andrew Zolyak, Cleveland, Ohio, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Natan Wythe</strong></p>
<p><strong>Juan Manuel Faisal, capital federal, buenos aires, argentina</strong></p>
<p><strong>Benjamin Slade, Arlington, TX, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robert Krawitz, Brookline, MA, USA, VI-3 1987</strong></p>
<p><strong>Simon Gibson, Hertford, Herts., United Kingdom</strong></p>
<p><strong>Matt Petersen, '09</strong></p>
<p><strong>Zachary Bailey, Pasadena, CA, SB '08, SM '10</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alexander Matheson, Concord, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tamara Tasoff, Brighton, MA, USA, Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Charles Franklin, Richmond, VA, US, MIT Undergraduate Class of 2014</strong> The actions taken by our lawyers team make me ashamed to be a student here. I've never felt comfortable with the perceived intentions of our administration. Now I have even less faith in the administration, not just to do what's best for it's own students, but for others as well. It's really sad that this happened. Multiple people need to be fired over this, and that is just a start.</p>
<p><strong>David Coop, bristol, Rhode Island, 02809</strong></p>
<p><strong>Brian Hamrick, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Peter Olson, Boston, MA, US, alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>jost didier, villabé, essonne, france</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jason Ford</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shuo Yang</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jae Ung Hwang, Rochester, NY, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Roberta Czyzyk, West Newton, MA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sung Kim, Cambridge, MA, USA, Alum 2010, Current Staff</strong> One other item I would add to the list above is the MIT ethos, spirit, and philosophy of &quot;Mind and Hand&quot;. The administration has been less and less supportive of student hacking culture and the creative exploration spirit behind it. Steps need to be taken to protect this kind of behavior, activism, and idealism. The MIT administration must take responsibility to protect that spirit.</p>
<p>Best, Sung Kim MIT '10 sungmi@mit.edu</p>
<p><strong>Darren Schmidt, Sacramento, California, United States of America</strong> I have long been a seeker of knowledge and a lover of Technology. I have had the chance to visit MIT many times and have always been shown that my passion for what I love is not only mirrored by cultivated by your school, its Educators and its Students and Alumni.</p>
<p>I truly feel that as one of the global leaders in Technological innovations that you had a chance to speak up sooner regarding this issue.</p>
<p>You more than anyone should see how technology has changed the understanding of our world and how far we have come, but with the threat by our own governing bodies and agencies to silence the sharing and growth of free knowledge ever more present that you should be advocating what Aaron Schwartz and so many others believe and stood for.</p>
<p>I truly hope that this message does not fall on deaf ears and that some change truly does occur because of this.</p>
<p>Thank You</p>
<p><strong>David Politi, Santa Barbara, California, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jennifer Fitzgerald, Calgary, Alberta, Canada</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bismita Sahu, Northampton, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hernan Anllo, Paris, France</strong></p>
<p><strong>renata de andrade</strong></p>
<p><strong>Enrique Estrada, Sacramento, California, United States</strong> I personally am extremely disappointed that MIT didn’t issue a statement for the case to be dropped.</p>
<p><strong>Laura Stonehill, San Francisco, CA, usa</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jordan McCarthy, Stanford, CA, United States</strong> By offering an open network to all comers, MIT appears to take a firm stance in favor of making the world of information universally accessible. Yet when an activity that was based on the very same philisophical foundation attracted the ire of authorities, MIT apparently lost all of its conviction on this issue, and instead chose to hide behind a rather thin veil of neutrality. If MIT wishes to uphold its integrity, it needs to hold firm in its defense of principles it cares about - especially when trouble strikes.</p>
<p><strong>Matthew Boulos, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Killam Fellow 2004-5</strong></p>
<p><strong>mark martini, El cerrito, CA, USA</strong> You must speak out!</p>
<p><strong>Jessica Hamrick, Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mark McCormick, San Francisco, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nigel Parry, Saint Paul, MN, USA, Was published in your Thresholds journal once</strong> MIT witnessed excessive legal force being used against someone in its name, a criminal justice snowball MIT helped start roll. MIT had the power to do something to stop that excess but chose not to. Now someone is dead.</p>
<p><strong>Ioana Zelko, Boston, undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Daniel Goldman, Piedmont, Ca, USA</strong> We are all responsible for maintaining and evolving the rule if law</p>
<p><strong>Rachel Chalmers, San Francisco, CA, USA</strong> Nothing has ever tarnished MIT's reputation as this vendetta against Aaron has done.</p>
<p><strong>wesley gould, Seattle, Washington, USA, Rejected applicant</strong> Please take some time to consider that ideas cannot be stolen because those who share them have lost nothing, and the world is bettered through education. I am disappointed in any University that doesn't understand this.</p>
<p><strong>Catherine Y</strong></p>
<p><strong>Joanne Sprague, San Francisco, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anastasia McTaggart-Meek, Cambridge, MA, USA, Special student</strong> I did a semester at MIT this fall, and found it to be a rewarding experience. However, how you treated Aaron is unacceptable, and shows some deep flaws in your administration. If you would simply accept the changing currents of society, more innovation would follow. Noah is an awesome person, and I'm sure his brother was the same, in addition to being a brilliant innovator. We add to the ranks of Turing, a new genius in the woods of despair.</p>
<p><strong>Rebecca Schnell</strong></p>
<p><strong>Christie Lin, MEng 2012</strong></p>
<p><strong>john kelly, new york, ny, usa</strong></p>
<p><strong>Val Healy, Allston, MA, USA, former student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Margaret Avener, Philadelphia, PA, Alum '07</strong></p>
<p><strong>Brian DeRosa, Charlestown, MA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Wiktor Jakubiuk, Cambridge, MA, USA, MIT student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rafael Rodriguez</strong></p>
<p><strong>Oliver Hockenhull, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rony Kubat, Cambridge, MA, USA, Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>ben cole, san francisco, ca, usa, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Richard Buckman, Amherst, Ma, United states, Former special student/hssp student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Charles Hung, MIT '07</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jacob Appelbaum, Seattle, WA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dorothy Curran, Alumna</strong></p>
<p><strong>linda rhines</strong></p>
<p><strong>Amy Farrell, Portland, OR, US, MIT 1988, EECS</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dilmurat Moldobaev, Boston, MA, USA, undergraduate student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Russell Denney, Lacey, WA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jake Thompson</strong></p>
<p><strong>Paula Fraser, Bellevue, WA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alan Aguiar, Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay</strong> right is right</p>
<p><strong>Daniel Briggs, Northampton, MA, USA, Alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>May Moreshet, Boston</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michael Nawrot, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A., Student</strong> While it is unclear why Aaron took his life, it seems that the legal pressure he was facing certainly could have contributed. I do not personally blame MIT for his death. It is a complicated matter that one cannot simply jump to conclusions on. However, I believe the actions being taken against Aaron by the DOJ overstepped many moral boundaries, and I believe that MIT (a known influential force in American technology policy) should have spoken out against these actions long ago. With programs like edX and OCW, it seems obvious that MIT supports the sharing of information and knowledge. While I understand why MIT may not have been able to encourage or outright support Aaron's actions, I think the administration had an obligation to discourage the prosecution of someone whose goals aligned with the Institute's in many ways.</p>
<p><strong>Rebecca Bianco, Brooklyn, NY, USA, Alum '12</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jonathan Vesey, Mayfield, OH, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Joann Rasmussen, Avon, Ohio, Lorain</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anvisha Pai, Cambridge, MA, USA, undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Steven Pennybaker, Baltimore, MD, United States, Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Filippo Pacini, Siena, Siena, Italy</strong></p>
<p><strong>Marysia Walcerz, Portland, OR</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lily Xu, Austin, TX, USA, 2012</strong></p>
<p><strong>Uddhav Sharma, Boston, MA, USA, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jillian Monda, Cleveland, OH, United States of America</strong> As a friend of Aaron's brother, and an admirer of Aaron's, It's a shame that you felt prosecuting an activist was a necessary action; to see such potential extinguished so young is absolutely depressing.</p>
<p><strong>Mateo Williams, Cambridge, MA, USA, Sophomore</strong></p>
<p><strong>Philip Chinn, Milwaukee, WI, United States</strong> I hope MIT is an institution that decides to be on the right side of history during these pivotal times in regards to information and data sharing. You can send a message and set trends simply by apologizing. I hope you do so.</p>
<p><strong>Anna Gladstone, Eugene, Oregon, United States, Alumna</strong></p>
<p><strong>Kavya Joshi, MEng</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alex Pavloff</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ted Invictus, Grand Forks, BC, Canada</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ben Thompson, CA, lapsed fan</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mary Wang, Evanston, IL, USA, 2012 alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jack White, Richmond, VA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ryan Cox, San Jose, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jay Thomas, San Francisco, CA</strong></p>
<p><strong>N. Horbinski</strong> This is what your school is about, you should be ashamed with the way this case was handled.</p>
<p><strong>Amanda Wang, student (undergraduate)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jennifer Hill, Everett, MA, USA, None</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dana Ward, Phelan, California, USA</strong> I should like a full and complete explanation of Secret Service involvement, as well, thank you very much....</p>
<p><strong>Nivair Gabriel, Boston, MA, USA, 2010 alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>James Molloy</strong></p>
<p><strong>Leon Scott, Liverpool, Merseyside, Uk</strong> Absolute disgrace</p>
<p><strong>Nick Searcy, Louisville, KY, USA</strong> Swartz was a personal role model of mine. His tireless fight for justice was an inspiration. MIT's behavior in this case was cowardly: the academic tool of the elites sided with craven politicians against fairness and activism. It reinforces every negative imagine of MIT as a self-justifying system that exclusively serves the wealthy, the empowered and the fortunate.</p>
<p><strong>Anne Hanna, Atlanta, Georgia, United States</strong> The academic community can do better than this, and MIT, as one of the world's premier academic institutions, has the responsibility to lead the way on open access, rather than helping to hound our most forward-thinking colleagues to their deaths. It's too late for Aaron Swartz, but it's not too late for MIT to return to its proper role of helping to make the world a better place rather than a worse one. Apologize, mend your ways, and make a commitment to be a leader on this issue rather than a regressive force.</p>
<p><strong>Seth Woodworth, Medford, ma, USA, former sysadmin</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jeff Matson, Miami, FL, USA, former staff</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nutan Gupta, None</strong> MIT did wrong. His brilliant mind and energy should have been channelized to greatness of the world instead of prosecuting him. He was only 24 yet to learn the rules of society unjustly hounded. Think of him as your own child and search your soul.</p>
<p><strong>Dustin Boyer, San Francisco, CA, 94117</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alicia Singham Goodwin, Cambridge, MA, USA, Undergraduate 2014</strong></p>
<p><strong>Clement Suavet, Cambridge, MA, United States, Postdoc</strong></p>
<p><strong>Marc Bouvier, Nantes, Pays de la Loire, France</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anderson Wang, '16</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dr. Pamela Hutchison, Victoria, BC, Canada, Extended family of Aaron Swartz</strong></p>
<p><strong>ben hammet</strong></p>
<p><strong>Megan O'Rorke, San Francisco, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Charles Xu, 2015</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michael Wiley, Seminole, Florida, United States of America</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ben Horkley, 2014</strong></p>
<p><strong>Edward Meeds</strong></p>
<p><strong>Edward Finkler, Lafayette, Indiana, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>Stephen Bove, Mill Valley, CA, USA, none</strong> Un-taint your incredible institution. MIT is far better than this.</p>
<p><strong>Tim Obregon, Forest Hills, NY, United States</strong> Do the right thing.</p>
<p><strong>Reid Miller, Corte Madera, California, USA, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Timur Balbekov, Cambridge, MA, USA, MIT S.B. 2013</strong> I believe that many students will be considering the administration's response to the Swartz case when asked to make contributions to the MIT endowment. We await Professor Abelson's report.</p>
<p><strong>Katelyn Haas, Erie, Pa, USA, friends with Aaron's brother Noah</strong> I realize that MIT did not want Aaron to commit suicide. But clearly he needed MIT's help in the court case. I understand that MIT receives a lot of government funding for research but how could you not help him? It is unbelievably clear that Aaron was changing the world. You don't get chances to help heroes that often. Please apologize.</p>
<p><strong>Larry Stone, Somerville, MA, USA, former staff</strong> I have worked as a developer and maintainer of digital libraries of scholoarly assets, much like the JSTOR library that Aaron Swartz allegedly downloaded. Though I might have every reason to be among those wanting to prosecute him, I was appalled at the disproportionate response by the US government, MIT and JSTOR. I'm very disappointed that MIT did not correct its response and support Aaron while he was alive. His goals of furthering the free distribution of scientific information are aligned with what I <em>thought</em> the Institute's were, and what I was working toward in my career there.</p>
<p><strong>Aysylu Biktimirova, alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shauna Gordon-McKeon</strong></p>
<p><strong>Christian Ternus, Cambridge, MA, USA, MIT '10</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lyra Levin, San Francisco, California, USA, Student</strong> MIT is committed to the advancement of science and technology through open access to information and education. This can been seen through programs such as Open Course Ware and the Splash initiative. The Institute's silence and lack of defense of Aaron is a huge stumble on this path, and I hope that we can all take this tragic event as inspiration to do better and work more idealistically.</p>
<p><strong>Joshua Cohen, San Francisco, CA, USA, Member of faculty, 1977-2006</strong> I yield to none in my admiration and affection for MIT, where I taught for 29 years. I sign this because the action it recommends is based on the principles that I think MIT has (more or less) consistently affirmed.</p>
<p><strong>Libby Cone, MD, MA, Glenside, PA, USA, MIT Class of 1977</strong> Will MIT ever stand up for its own, or always side with the authorities?</p>
<p><strong>Adam Beerman, 2012</strong></p>
<p><strong>Adam Spektor, Cleveland, OH, U.S.A.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Prashanth Venkataram</strong></p>
<p><strong>Panagiotis Dimotikalis, Thessaloniki, Greece, I wish i had one</strong></p>
<p><strong>Adam Wisniewski, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michele Pratusevich, Cambridge, MA, USA, MIT 2013</strong></p>
<p><strong>Thomas Levine, Scarsdale, NY, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>Carolyn Anhalt, Cambridge, MA</strong> MIT has a reputation for being progressive and in the forefront of technology and innovation. To quash so harshly an attempt to spread knowledge, using innovative and legal means, seems to do the opposite of what so many regard as part of MIT's role in the community. I deeply implore the current president and leaders at MIT to apologize for the wrongness of previous decisions, and take some measure of responsibility for cutting off access to knowledge and the potential innovations that Aaron Swartz would have continued to contribute to this world, had he not been forced into this tragic ending.</p>
<p><strong>Simon Osindero, San Francisco, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Christopher Natale, Seattle, WA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>christine cames, Tulle, Correze, FRANCE</strong></p>
<p><strong>Eric Duerr, Pittsburgh, PA, USA</strong> I went to Brandeis with Ben Swartz. I played Magic: the Gathering with both him and Noah Swartz. Aaron was a frequent topic of conversation and obviously important to both of them. My only interaction with Aaron was nothing more than a &quot;yo&quot; back and forth, but I followed his story with great interest, and unlike most fiction, the wrong side won. I can't say &quot;shame on you&quot;, since honestly, shame on me too. I could have been more involved than doing nothing... but so could you.</p>
<p><strong>Jonathan Steigman, Mountain View, CA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Frank Zucco, Castle Rock, CO, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Franck Dernoncourt, Cambridge, MA, USA, PhD in AI</strong> Dear MIT,</p>
<p>I will hold you accountable to apologize for your refusal to oppose the unjust federal prosecution of Aaron Swartz.</p>
<p>Instead of supporting Aaron, MIT contributed to his turmoil that eventually led to his death, facing a one million dollar trial and 35 years of imprisonment for up to 13 felonies.</p>
<p>Aaron was indicted for mass downloading scientific publications with the intent to distribute them. Isn't it part of MIT goals - and any scientist - to create and distribute scientific knowledge to anyone free of charge? Shouldn't MIT have praised him instead of threatening him? At least, MIT should have declined to pursue its own action against Aaron, as JSTOR did.</p>
<p>Now I'm confused. I thought MIT OpenCourseWare had been launched by MIT. I thought MITx had been launched by MIT. MIT has opened education: when will we open science?</p>
<p>MIT is one of the few places in the world that contain enough rockstar scientists to pave the way for the future of research. Let's make good use of it.</p>
<p>Respectfully, Franck Dernoncourt</p>
<p><strong>Ron Newman, Somerville, MA, USA, MIT '79, course VI-3</strong> MIT should have asked Aaron Swartz to do community service (which I'm sure he would gladly have done) in exchange for MIT's non-cooperation with the Secret Service and the US Attorney's office. MIT should <em>never</em> have thrown Aaron Swartz to the wolves. I am so disappointed in my alma mater.</p>
<p><strong>Bronwen Watkins-Pitchford, cleveland, oh, 44118</strong></p>
<p><strong>john earle, new york, new york, united states</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robert Janusko, Bethlehem, PA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jonathan Marcus, Cambridge, MA, USA, Friend of many MIT students and alums.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jason Wallace, Cockeysville, MD, USA, Alum</strong> I am surprised and saddened by the number of similar cases in recent years in which MIT has either (1) failed/refused to act to support its students [c.f. Star Simpson case] or (2) sided against its students/alums for events occurring on campus, allowing what should have been internal campus resolutions to become overblown issues [c.f. prosecution of MIT &quot;hackers&quot; found in faculty club, circa 2007]. MIT is generally felt to be a haven by those who have walked its corridors, but this may be a false perception. Of course justice must be preserved, but prudence on the part of the institute could help prevent escalation of otherwise trivial problems.</p>
<p><strong>David Sheets, San Francisco, CA, USA, VI-3 S.B. 2009</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nabeel Khan, Calgary, Alberta, Canada</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hector Cruickshanks</strong></p>
<p><strong>David Lewis, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa</strong></p>
<p><strong>philip keith, jamaica plain, MA, United States, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Aleyda Trevino, Junior</strong></p>
<p><strong>kathryn reilly, Boston, MA, USA, friend of MIT student community</strong></p>
<p><strong>Charles Pairan</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anasuya Mandal, Cambridge, MA, USA, Graduate Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Derrick Riley, Savannah, Ga, United States, None</strong></p>
<p><strong>Katie Hazard, Oakland, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>M C Kubiak, BMI, IL, USA, none</strong> “No one can serve two masters.…You cannot serve both God and money.” ~ Matthew 6:24</p>
<p><strong>Michael Carter, Nelson, British Columbia, Canada</strong></p>
<p><strong>Johan Kullingsjo, Gothenburg, Sweden</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jacob Gresh, West Liberty, Ohio, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Joshua Estrin Skrzypek, Herzliya, HaSharon, Israel, Son and friend of numerous students/alumni</strong> I don't directly blame the MIT administration for Aaron's death, but I do think that the Institute was remiss in a) not doing more to quash the overly harsh pursuit of Aaron's freedom by the prosecutors in question, and b) allowing itself to be made a pawn of an aggressive and oppressively antagonistic legal system. This not only tarnishes the reputation of the Institute, but also brings into question the Institute's commitment to innovation, social justice, open-source, and scientific thought and advancement in general, as well as it's ability to protect and support scientists and students even in it's own community from the predations of the same legal system. An apology of this nature would be a good faith gesture that could in no way replace early and decisive action by the institute to condemn the action of the DOJ against Aaron, but might restore some of the confidence of the public in the Institute's desire to remain at the forefront of relevance and social leadership in scien ce, technology, engineering, and mathematics.</p>
<p><strong>Latifah Hamzah, Cambridge, MA, USA, Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ethan Sterling, Brooklyn, New York, USA, Former student</strong> You exist to spread knowledge, not restrict it.</p>
<p><strong>Joseph Grasser, Fountain Hill, ps, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dylan Sherry, Somerville, MA, USA, Graduate student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Corinn Herrick, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2016</strong></p>
<p><strong>Elyot Grant, Cambridge, MA, USA, Grad student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Madeleine Ball, Cambridge, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sheri Whitley, New York, NY, USA, NA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Joshua Slocum, Alumni '10 and '11</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alexander Patrikalakis, Pasadena, Ca, USA, Alumnus-Affiliate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Cypress Frankenfeld</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mark Brown, Baltimore, Md, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>William Carter, Calabasas, CA, 91302</strong></p>
<p><strong>Amber Clark</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bryan Parmelee</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jaimee Lee, Carmichael , Ca, USA, Aaron's cousin</strong></p>
<p><strong>Elisa Gill, Boston, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Taylor Martin, Stanford, CA, USA, friend</strong> It's heartbreaking to think that it takes a suicide to address these issues so that it never happens again.</p>
<p><strong>Jordan Reyes, Chicago, IL, United States of America</strong> Aaron was a friend of mine.</p>
<p><strong>Rick Kelley, Berkeley, CA, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michele Vitaliano, Oyster Bay Cove, NY</strong></p>
<p><strong>Will Doenlen, MIT c/o 2012</strong></p>
<p><strong>Katherine Cali, Wellesley, MA, USA, X-registered Wellesley undergrad</strong></p>
<p><strong>Carolyn DiNardo</strong></p>
<p><strong>Molly de Blanc, Somerville, MA, Staff</strong></p>
<p><strong>Maude David, Berkeley, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Xander Hudson, Oakland, CA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sophie Zhang, Princeton, NJ, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Eric Probola</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ashley Newton, Charlestown, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>carolyn rhea drapes, El Paso , TX, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>aimilia karapostoli, thessaloniki, thessaloniki, greece</strong></p>
<p><strong>Daniel King, Ulverston, Cumbria, UK</strong></p>
<p><strong>Janice Terry, Reston, VA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Danbee Kim, Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal, Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Melanie Holland, West Lafayette, IN, USA, alum '90</strong> The question of open access must be faced, and MIT should be a constructive participant as the current system changes to a new modelnot a silent bystander.</p>
<p><strong>Arianna Wassmann, Stanford, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>mélina gallopin, Orsay, Ile-de-France, FRANCE</strong></p>
<p><strong>Boris Mindzak, Los Angeles, CA, SA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Steven Dee, Oakland, CA, USA, None</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ian Gregory, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sumana Raychaudhuri, New York, NY, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Eric Kugler, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA</strong> The administration should be brought up on criminal charges, for cyber-bullying at the very least and manslaughter at the most. You claim to be an academy of learning and science, but are clearly just another money-grubbing corporation. This has put a black mark on MIT that will never be removed. Way to be Kent State.</p>
<p><strong>Samantha Fomon, Cambridge, MA, USA, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ohana Turbak, Boston, Massachusetts, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Zachary Barryte, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Casey Chaudhry, USA, admitted once</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alexander Hayman, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2008 Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Charles McHenry, Central Point, OR, 97502, former admirer</strong> This is an opportunity to set a wrong right; to set an example of through investigation, thoughtful reform and suitable amends. Please be leaders, pro-active not reactive. It is past time for a sincere, heartfelt apology from MIT - not just statements of regret.</p>
<p><strong>Hiroyuki Yamada, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rachel Fong, Cambridge, MA, USA, alumna</strong></p>
<p><strong>Samantha Pasquini</strong></p>
<p><strong>Khadijah M. Britton, Brooklyn, NY, US, MIT Splash/HSSP Participant, Community Member</strong> Everyone in this community knows that MIT's recent president went too far in pursuing Aaron. Make a formal apology and clear yourselves of the shame, so we can move forward into openness together.</p>
<p><strong>Saad Zaheer, Baltimore, MD, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anthony Huron, Cleveland Heights, OH, United States of America</strong></p>
<p><strong>Juan Ybarra, San Antonio, Texas, USA, Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rebecca Godfrey, 374 rokeby, Red hook, New York, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robert DeLanghe, Brookyln, NY, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Daniel Clark, Cambridge, MA, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>Amy Zhang, San Francisco, CA, USA, Alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>Andrew Shapiro, Alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nick Phillips, Dunedin, NZ</strong> The reputation of MIT as an &quot;enlightened&quot; institution almost certainly will be permanently tarnished by this episode. The response to it will help determine whether any good can come of it, and set an example to other institutions which have yet to face such issues. Please set them a good example.</p>
<p><strong>nick bray, cardiff, wales, U.K.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jeremy Goldstein, Portland, OR, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jim McGowan</strong> MIT should do more than apologize. Explain the reports about MIT's request to or agreement with the US Attorney that Aaron Swartz be prosecuted. At first I had thought that MIT had simply expressed tacit approval by not specifically signing a complaint against Aaron. Then I read that MIT did swear out a complaint against him, and possibly even more. I would like to hear not only an apology but a statement of exactly what all MIT is apologizing for specifically.</p>
<p><strong>Daniel Cooper, Boston, MA, USA, Friend of the community</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ethan Li, Stanford, CA, USA</strong> Please, please please show that MIT's administration is open to joining the cause of an open and just society.</p>
<p><strong>Chris Mills, 2012</strong></p>
<p><strong>Meredith Peterson, Lexington Park, MD, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Larry Lennhoff, Highland Park, NJ, USA, alum</strong> C'mon guys! MIT is one of the birthplaces of hacker culture. I believe Aaron was targeted BECAUSE he was a force for change, to serve as an example to discourage the others. MIT needs to support an open culture, not suppress it.</p>
<p><strong>Rob McQueen, MIT 12</strong></p>
<p><strong>Quentin Smith, Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Steve Neidhardt</strong></p>
<p><strong>Frédéric LOHIER, Lorient, FRANCE</strong> Rest in Peace....</p>
<p><strong>Daniel Dominguez, Austin, Texas, USA, alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sean Yeldell</strong></p>
<p><strong>Maya Cook, Lindenwold, NJ, US</strong> MIT has an ethical responsibility to its own. I am sorely disappointed by the lack of integrity in this situation, and it has caused me to reconsider encouraging my daughter to apply.</p>
<p><strong>Ian Tucker, Napa, CA, 94559</strong> Why would a supposedly academic institution such as MIT hound and harass a young intellectual literally to DEATH over what amounts to a victim-less crime? JSTOR, the only entity which could even be considered a victim in the case said that no damage was done, dropped their charges and requested that you do the same.</p>
<p>Aaron was a brilliant young man who had already contributed more to society that most will do in their whole lives and who had a whole lifetime of contributions ahead of him. I understand from news reports that the exact same unlocked networking closet that you wanted to put 26 year old Aaron into federal prison for 50 years for accessing was also being used by a derelict as a locker. If what you did to Aaron was right why don't you guys go and hunt down the bum and murder him too?</p>
<p>This is the exact same mindless vindictiveness that killed Alan Turing. Those responsible for his death apologized decades later, but what difference did it make? Just consider how much MIT alone has benefited from Aaron's work! We have all lost the benefit everything that this beautiful mind had to offer. Nothing any of us can do will ever undo that and his blood is on your hands.</p>
<p>This was a truly disgusting display of vindication on the part of MIT, an institution which is supposed to nurture and cultivate great intellectual minds, not snuff them out at their very beginnings. MIT will forever be tainted by this reprehensible act.</p>
<p><strong>Hillary Wheelock</strong></p>
<p><strong>Thomas Clegg, San Diego, CA, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alexander Hoover</strong></p>
<p><strong>Stefano Paluello, Italu</strong></p>
<p><strong>Deniz Yorukoglu, Cambridge, MA, US, Csail</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bhaskar Mookerji, San Francisco, CA, USA, Alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>Roberta Poceviciute, Cambridge, MA, US, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Moya Chin, Cambridge, MA, USA, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Chris Bodenlos</strong></p>
<p><strong>James Blake Patterson, San Francisco, CA, USA, nay</strong> Simply write an apology. This is the absolute least you can do.</p>
<p>-James</p>
<p><strong>Robert Skulman, Fort Smith, AR, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>David Dernoncourt</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rose Cottingham</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robert Rees, Waltham, MA, USA, alumnus (BS '68, MS '70)</strong></p>
<p><strong>Katherine Policy, Shelburne Falls, MA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jasmine Florentine, Ramat Gan, Israel, MIT Alumni</strong> To Whom It May Concern:</p>
<p>I did not know Aaron personally, and heard about the incident in the news. However, during my time at MIT, there were other incidents in which MIT kept quiet, only after the incident issuing and apology or expressing regret. In particular, the case of Star Simpson and (a few years before I was an undergraduate), the case of the hackers and the faculty club. Fortunately, the last two cases did not end as tragically, but the lives of those involved were still uprooted and they took years in recovering from the incidents.<br />MIT has a lot of political and legal sway in this issues, and the decision to keep quiet has destroyed people's lives. Part of the problem is that MIT presents certain ideals and traditions to the public, but then does not uphold them when push comes to shove. As an MIT student, I was frustrated when incidents like these occurred; as an MIT alumni, I am ashamed. I expect MIT to be the university that is willing to speak out and defy the norm.</p>
<p><strong>Matt Herrick</strong></p>
<p><strong>Kaytee Nesmith, Washington, DC, USA, N/A</strong></p>
<p><strong>William Koster, Columbia, South Carolina, United States, Friend Attends MIT</strong></p>
<p><strong>Samuel Klein, Cambridge, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Iman Hajirasouliha, providence, RI, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Audrey Horst, 2011</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ramya Swamy, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Donald Guy, Cambridge, MA, USA, alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>Chad Michael, Sun Valley, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Kamron Palmer</strong></p>
<p><strong>Colm McMahon, Dublin, Ireland, n/a</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michael Cohen, Cambridge, MA, USA, Current student</strong> The actions taken by the MIT administration in this case (as I understand it, pressuring prosecutors not to offer a lenient plea bargain) were shameful, and I hope and believe that they do not reflect the values of the MIT community.</p>
<p><strong>Teresa Dovidio, Somerville, MA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>sat posada</strong></p>
<p><strong>Steph Gans, Durham, NC</strong></p>
<p><strong>matthew fries, mass</strong></p>
<p><strong>Corrina Chase, Portland, OR, US, Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Amir Hirsch, San Francisco, CA, USA, Class of 2006, MEng 2007</strong></p>
<p><strong>Daniel Kramnik, Cambridge, MA, USA, Undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Brian Fisher, Tokyo, Japan, MIT '01</strong> The recent rapid growth in MIT administration rather than academics seems to be having negative, rather than positive, effects on MIT's reputation.</p>
<p><strong>Brittany Willock, Tucson, AZ, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Kathleen (Kathie) Kaeding Turner, Green Bay, WI, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mallory Taub, Berkeley, CA, USA, former graduate student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Samantha Cohen</strong></p>
<p><strong>Omer Zach, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America</strong> I don't attend MIT, but if my university behaved like this, I'd be ashamed. I've always had a ton of respect for MIT, but this makes it hard for me to continue thinking highly of the institution.</p>
<p><strong>Laura Totten, Somerville, MA, USA, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bianca Farrell, Alum '11</strong> Let's never repeat this tragedy.</p>
<p><strong>Cameron Rau, Seattle, Washington, USA, None</strong></p>
<p><strong>John Black, Keizer, OR, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rachel Bowens-Rubin</strong></p>
<p><strong>Linda Ocasio, Jamaica Plain, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Qiaochu Yuan, Berkeley, CA, USA, Alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>Adi Nochur, Somerville, MA, USA, DUSP</strong></p>
<p><strong>David House</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alyson Bolles, Underwood, WA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Marcos Esparza, Tucson, Arizona, United States, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Justin Campbell</strong></p>
<p><strong>Manohar Srikanth, PhD, Postdoc</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jim Smith, Denver, CO, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sam Range, Cambridge, MA, US, Undergraduate 2013</strong></p>
<p><strong>Marianne Díaz, Caracas, Distrito Capital, Venezuela</strong> Aaron's death is a huge loss for the Free Culture society throughout the world. I hope the MIT gets to understand its direct responsibility over the loss of a young, incredibly talented person who still had so much to give.</p>
<p><strong>Jessica Harpole, San Francisco, California, alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>M. ELBAZ</strong> https://www.quora.com/Death-of-Aaron-Swartz-January-2013/Was-hacking-of-academic-journal-JSTOR-by-Aaron-Swartz-justified/answer/Franck-Dernoncourt</p>
<p><strong>Robert Ochshorn, former staff</strong></p>
<p><strong>Pratik Chaudhari, Cambridge, MA, USA, Student</strong> If MIT does not stand for open science, then who will? We need policies to ensure that MIT will never again be a silent spectator to such draconian prosecution of open ideas.</p>
<p><strong>Madeline Whitman, Washington, DC, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>Harshal Chaudhari, Bangalore, Karnataka, India</strong></p>
<p><strong>Charles Mensah, Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana, no</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tracie Almond, Wellington, New Zealand</strong> It's too late to apologise to Aaron Swartz, but it might mean something to his family and friends for you to acknowledge MIT's part in his persecution..</p>
<p><strong>Mehmet Cetinkaya, Boston, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jeremy Sher, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A., Class of 1999</strong></p>
<p><strong>Frederick Davey, Raleigh, NC, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Yuanyu Chen, San Francisco, CA, US, SB '12</strong></p>
<p><strong>Francisco Jose Costa-Cano, Murcia, Murcia, Spain</strong> It's very sad that a genius is treated worse than a murderer</p>
<p><strong>Sarah Ganzhorn, Allston, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sukrit Ranjan</strong></p>
<p><strong>Thomas Gordanier, Cambridge, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jimmy McColery, Alameda, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Christopher Merrill, San Francisco, CA, 94131, MIT 2012</strong></p>
<p><strong>Quentin Robinson</strong></p>
<p><strong>Carmel Dudley, alum '12</strong></p>
<p><strong>Beth Baniszewski, Class of 2005</strong></p>
<p><strong>David Large, Sydney, NSW, Australia</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michael Hutchinson, San Francisco, CA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Danielle Olson, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Robert Solorzano, San Francisco, California, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ryan Guthrie, Canada</strong> Shame on you.</p>
<p><strong>phredd groves, bronx, NY, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alejandro Tiraboschi, Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina</strong></p>
<p><strong>Stanley Thompson, Norwalk, CT, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Taymon Beal, Rindge, NH, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>laurie levinger, Norwich, VT, USA, parent of alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tommy McHugh, Winnetka, Illinois, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tony Eder, Memphis, TN, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ciara Brennan</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lorin Krogh, Palo Alto, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Julie Probst, UT, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Laura Young, Olympia, WA, US</strong> We need to turn this around or too many young people will not only stay away from MIT, they will see risk in research; as if it were the Roman Inquisition. This is a sad time for all of us who value research.</p>
<p><strong>Angela Chang, Cambridge, MA, USA, MIT '11, '02, '97</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anil Mudholkar, Chicago, IL, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>Randy Dixon, Springfield, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Timothy Peever, Portland, OR, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Stephen Olszewski, Emeryville, CA, USA, None</strong> MIT has gone down severely in my estimation. It's time for MIT to eat crow.</p>
<p><strong>Olivia Mello, MIT '14</strong></p>
<p><strong>Brian Hepler, boston, ma, USA, friend</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dion Dennis, Cedar Creek, TX, 78612</strong> Beyond any specific apologies, policy changes that would make such events, in future, impossible, are very desirable. Additionally, reiterating and reinforcing, via actions, the values that Aaron Swartz stood for is at least as necessary, over time. We cannot drive visionaries, geniuses, generous souls to their death. Their death is our own.</p>
<p><strong>Nathan Lewis</strong></p>
<p><strong>Pól Ó Duibhir, Dublin, Dublin, Ireland</strong></p>
<p><strong>Logan Williams, Boston, MA, Undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>James Kalin, El Cerrito, California, USA, None</strong> I have alway had enormous respect for MIT and for the most part continue to do so, except for MIT's inexplicable failure to press the Justice Department to drop the case against Aaron Swartz. If MIT had acted it's possible that the Justice Department would have dropped the case. If MIT had publicly stated its support for Aaron in the face of the Justice Department's hounding of Aaron it's likely that Aaron would not have felt as ostracized, abandoned and isolated and still be alive today. Your apathy and neglect contributed to Aaron's death. What exactly do you plan to do to make it up to Aaron's family, friends and the broader MIT community? It better be something more than just a press release apology: Aaron's suicide and your role in helping make it happen require more than mere apology.</p>
<p><strong>John Adamo, Memphis, TN, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Thomas Sisson, Whitehall, Oh, USA, Parent</strong></p>
<p><strong>Fausto Morales, Houston, TX, USA, MIT '12</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ashley Meyer, San Francisco, CA, USA, friend</strong> As a member of the open science movement, MIT could and should have looked at what Aaron was doing and stepped up to fight (in legal ways) for even better public access of science publications.</p>
<p><strong>Samuel Walters-Nevet, Rockville, Maryland, US, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Keith Allshouse(c1v1cs@comcast.net)</strong> Please. Help me understand how MIT conducted itself properly in this situation. Please.</p>
<p><strong>Ernest Roe, Nice, PACA, France</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michael Griffin, Ypsilanti, MI, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Kari Johnson</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rudy Tanin, 2013</strong></p>
<p><strong>John Cavanaugh, San Diego, CA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sean Vitka, Washington, DC, USA, Summer program student once; neighbor for longer</strong></p>
<p><strong>Myisha Nanton, Tulsa, OK, United States</strong> This is for Aaron.</p>
<p><strong>Larry Mayfield, Ukiah, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Adam S., Cambridge, MA, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mike Hracs</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alexandre Milouchev, Cambridge, MA, US, MIT student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hui Xiao Chao, Cambridge, MA, USA, undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Daniel Bergey, Philadelphia, PA, Class of 2006</strong></p>
<p><strong>pETER aKKERMAN, sOUTH bEND, IN, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>joan sweet, brooklyn, new york, usa</strong> [Option</p>
<p><strong>Jay Walker</strong></p>
<p><strong>Terri Groth, Oceanside, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>John Abbe, Eugene, Oregon, went to school down the street, hung out at MIT some</strong> I appreciate that you have initiated a very serious investigation into this matter. Please do the right thing.</p>
<p><strong>Amelia Carver, Somerville, Massachusetts, USA, Undergraduate Student</strong> It is saddening and shocking to me that MIT who proclaims itself to be such a progressive promoter of universal access to knowledge and education failed to issue a supportive statement or, at the very least, a condemnation of the severity of the charges leveled against Aaron Swartz. The lack of action on the part of MIT calls into question MIT's dignity and professed commitment to the expansion of information access. Values are only values when they are maintained in difficult and controversial times. MIT needs to take stronger stances in issues like this if its students, faculty, and the rest of the academic world are to continue to respect its legacy and its ideals and continue to believe in its capacity to use its influence wisely and with honor. For Aaron Swartz and his family, it is too late, but it is never too late for an institution to act with greater compassion, grace, and morality. I hope that MIT, the great learning institution that it is, can learn from these events and reinstate our faith in its excellence.</p>
<p><strong>Benjamin Chrobot, Cambridge, MA, USA, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ra'ana-Dilruba Yasmin, Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Brad Johnson, Oakland, CA, MS Course 12 '04</strong> There needs to be a real ask in this petition, but this is a good first draft. MIT should launch a digital rights institute in Aaron's honor.</p>
<p><strong>Bennett Cyphers, Undergrad</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dario Garcia-Dominguez, Cambridge, MA, USA, Undergrad</strong></p>
<p><strong>Damon Tkoch, Santa Cruz, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Susan Macksey, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A., Wellesley '82</strong> As a Wellesley student, I was very grateful for the opportunity MIT's relationship with Wellesley gave me to be one of the earliest users of word processing software, something that's been of tremendous service to me throughout my career. I numbered many MIT students among my friends, and always thought of the Institute with fondness and respect. Please don't let that impression change, and be overwritten with contempt for its failure to do the right thing.</p>
<p><strong>Matthew Bruchon, Graduate Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tanya Lamb</strong></p>
<p><strong>James Buckley, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Not Affiliated</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michael Brown, Santa Cruz, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ahmet Musabeyoglu, Boston, Massachusetts, USA, current undergraduate student at MIT</strong></p>
<p><strong>Steve Feller</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sander Rubin, '50, Davis, CA, USA, Alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>Andrés Correa Casablanca, Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain</strong> The M.I.T. has lost my admiration, when someone or an institution loses its ethical behavior in favor of selfishness and &quot;capital&quot;, loses its dignity too.</p>
<p><strong>Aileen Kawabe, Somerville, MA, Former staff</strong></p>
<p><strong>Paula Sandusky</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jimmy Gallagher, Villeneuve de Riviere, Midi Pyrenees, France</strong> You know it's the right thing to do!</p>
<p><strong>Aimee Smith, MIT PhD '02</strong></p>
<p><strong>Geoffrey Garcia, Clermont-Ferrand, France</strong></p>
<p><strong>Michael Woon, Accra, Ghana</strong> I didn't know Aaron, but I heard about everything along the way as it happened and I did my research.</p>
<p>Aaron was brilliant and noble and he (like many others) deserved nothing of what he received. He lived, breathed and worked for freedom for people and he was repaid with trumped up felony charges and bullying by the government of his, and our own country. This makes me sad and angry.</p>
<p>The institute could have done SO much more to stop this preventable tragedy.</p>
<p>I wished you had made a statement to show you thought what was going on was wrong. Because it was unambiguously, completely and deeply wrong.</p>
<p>Now I hope you'll apologise that you didn't, and make a statement to show that you care.</p>
<p><strong>chris crump, ojai, ca, usa, friends and family</strong></p>
<p><strong>Chris Smith, Cambridge, MA, United States, Undergraduate Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Foster Pinkney, Columbus, Ohio, United State of America, none</strong> It is really a shame that such a petition needed to be started in the first place. Have some dignity.</p>
<p><strong>Larry Bell(blnkabqnm@gmail.com)</strong> That the Youth Movement... Read: youthful activism... has suddenly become the target of academia and the status quo is a sad commentary on the current culture at MIT. The Occupy Movement needs to move its headquarters to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to dislodge that thick top crust which has calcified the minds of its administration and runs counter of its stated mission of advancing knowledge, intellectual freedom and creativity. The tragic death of Aaron Swartz is a black mark on this school and will forever remain so. It is time for a new mission statement from MIT which embraces web freedom / open access and the principles that have cost one brilliant young man his life.</p>
<p><strong>Bjørn Tennøe, Oslo, Norway, Not Affiliated</strong></p>
<p><strong>George Church, Boston, MA, USA, Professor, HST, Broad</strong> More than an apology and investigation is needed. A policy for future use of JSTOR is merited. &quot;JSTOR terms of use: 5. Prohibited Uses of the Content. (d) undertake any activity such as computer programs that automatically download or export Content, commonly known as web robots, spiders, crawlers, wanderers or accelerators that may interfere with, disrupt or otherwise burden the JSTOR server&quot;. How slowly would one have to download 4.8 million JSTOR files in order to not burden the server? Examples of valid personal uses of such a download include text mining and Ngrams. Such &quot;transformative&quot; fair use derivative resources could be shared by all legitimate MIT JSTOR users to reduce repeated download burden from multiple researcher with similar needs.</p>
<p><strong>Douglas Mans, King of Prussia, PA, USA, None</strong></p>
<p><strong>Gholson Lyon, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, NY, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>jo arbon, bury st edmunds, suffolk, UK</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anthony SKORSKI, Lyon, France</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mark Tokheim, Fargo, ND, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Elizabeth Fox, Taos, NM, USA, My father got his masters at MIT</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rogier Landman, Cambridge, MA, USA, Research Scientist</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jung Choi, Atlanta, GA, USA, Course 7, Class of 1978</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tom Zych, Gainesville, FL, US</strong> &quot;In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.&quot; - MLK</p>
<p><strong>Tom Zych(freethinker@pobox.com)</strong> s/outreach/overreach/</p>
<p><strong>Chris Ball, Cambridge, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lyn LaGreca, Boston, MA, United States</strong> Your silence was implicit endorsement. Shame on you.</p>
<p><strong>Jaime Reyes, Undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Patrick Cole, Medford, MA, USA</strong> The pursuit of learning is based upon free exchange of information and cannot be placed second to the pursuit of profits.</p>
<p><strong>Ted Wood, Marietta, GA, US</strong> As an institution of free thought and teaching it is your responsibility to be a beacon of the community for what is right and just. An apology for your lack of involvement in defending Aaron from those who sought to defile his legacy is the least you can do.</p>
<p><strong>Lef Ioannidis, Cambridge, MA, USA, student</strong></p>
<p><strong>MIT '12(mit12@mit.edu)</strong> I disagree with your claim that nothing he did was illegal. In fact, if you look at the law, (i.e. http://www.volokh.com/2013/01/14/aaron-swartz-charges/), what he did was indeed illegal and he continued to do it after he had been blocked, told to stop, etc. He was warned, and continued breaking the law. Whether it hurt anyone is irrelevant - the law is the law, and he should realize that there are consequences to actions. If you think the prosecution should have used their discretion to either not prosecute, deal, or seek lesser charges, that is one thing. But I can just as easily make the argument that they should make an example our of him before someone uses his techniques to do something more damaging.</p>
<p><strong>Martin Martinez Rivera, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Valerie Young, Cambridge</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alice Wang, New York, NY, USA, Class of 2003</strong> I am deeply disappointed by how MIT has chosen to handle this case. Despite the pressures you may have felt along the way, I know that at some point there was a CHOICE you could have made. Perhaps the outcomes of the case would have been just a little different ... and to atone for that CHOICE, you can begin by issuing an apology.</p>
<p>MIT's commitment towards openness is the cornerstone to what makes MIT an amazingly unique - Please never forget that.</p>
<p><strong>Carrol Miller, Lakewood, CO</strong></p>
<p><strong>Kristin Wiseman, student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Thomas Thompson, Cambridge, MA, USA, Undergraduate</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jorge Ortiz, Albany, CA, USA, Alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>Inna N. Islen, Newark, NJ, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ted Ko, San Francisco, CA, Class of 1994</strong></p>
<p><strong>Peter Godart, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anita Baxter, Burton, MI, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Deanna Church, Silver Spring, MD, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Qarly Canant, San Francisco, California, United States, friend of TEPs</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shawn Nock, Takoma Park, MD, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lillian Good, Scotts Valley, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Penelope Reed-Woods, Van Nuys, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alexei Ivanov, Sunnyvale, CA, USA</strong> This whole case IS PAINFULLY UNJUST.</p>
<p><strong>Marques Bostic, Portland, ME, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hailey Cambra, Fall River, MA, U.S.A</strong></p>
<p><strong>John Barley, Philadelphia, PA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Liza Nima, Canada, spiritual warrior</strong></p>
<p><strong>David Cotner, Ventura, CA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Firoj Alam, Trento</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ana Margarida Esteves, New Orleans, LA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>John Boyer, Pittsburgh, 15203, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Zak Accuardi, Cambridge, MA, USA, Graduate student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Carole Di Tosti, Ph.D., Kew Gardens,, NY 11415, US.</strong> As a former professor and educator and supporter of your institution's attempt at intellectual freedom and diversity (I've had students attend and have written references for many.) I am greatly saddened at your participation, however, obscure and miniscule in the tragedy of Aaron Swartz's suicide, his response to a recalcitrant and onerous prosecutorial stance. That M.I.T. could even be mentioned in the same breath with the prosecution's case is frankly, beyond fathomable to me.</p>
<p>You have broken my heart and the hearts of many professors, academics and educators at lower levels who entrusted their faith in you as a guiding light...that you would always maintain your integrity and honor in taking a stand for the right and just when the opportunity arose.</p>
<p>I am glad this situation has come to the fore and you have exposed where you have most probably stood all along, with the rich and powerful and not with the ethical and just. Thank you for opening our eyes. I'll get over my broken heart, but I will never forget what this event signifies about M.I.T. and will pull any and all support of your institution.</p>
<p>A former lover of M.I.T. Carole M. Di Tosti, Ph.D.</p>
<p><strong>ebby guallar, miami, fl, miami-dade</strong></p>
<p><strong>Amy Beam, Barbados</strong> US injustice has simply gone too far. MIT should pay a settlement to Aaron Swartz' family and set up a scholarship fund or fund a permanent chair. Certainly, there needs to be some policy changes and firing,</p>
<p><strong>Farzad Eshaghi, Mercer Island, WA, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>Teresa DeZazzo, Encinitas, CA, USA, A member of the human race that recognizes we lost a great mind and soul in the death of Aaron Swartz.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Scott STODDARD, Keaau, HI, US</strong> To remain neutral in the face of an atrocity is to condone it.</p>
<p><strong>Varoon Bashyakarla</strong></p>
<p><strong>Peter Tsang, Alumni</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alex McLaren, Derby, Derbys., UK, n/a</strong></p>
<p><strong>Cara Manning, Falmouth, MA, USA, PhD student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Matei Stanca, Toronto, ON, Canada</strong> Knowledge should be free.</p>
<p><strong>Lee Semanek, New York, NY</strong></p>
<p><strong>John Leaderbrand, Minneapolis, MN, United States</strong> The excuses MIT have given for your reasons not to help Aaron Swartz falls far short of anything that sounds justifiable to an outside observer. If this investigation is used to find other cases like Aaron's, and there are similar ones MIT has and is currently dealing with, and help them, as well as provide preventative measures, such as rules about what materials can be given to investigators without a warrant and what role MIT must play when MIT is responsible for the freedom or litigation of an individual, and lastly offer an apology to Aaron then I believe you are taking the right steps to help right a terrible injustice.</p>
<p>If this investigation is used to absolve MIT of all responsibility then MIT will have lost respect across this nation, invite ridicule upon yourselves, and hopefully open yourselves up for litigation by Aaron's family as well bad publicity from any impartial investigation that shines light on MIT's role in Aaron's persecution.</p>
<p>Please don't choose the path you have already taken, which lead to Aaron's death.</p>
<p><strong>Jeff Weicher, Santa Monica, CA, USA, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Eva L, New York, New York</strong></p>
<p><strong>Adam Eig, chevy chase, md, usa, friends who went/worked there</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jack Lambert, Ayden, NC, USA</strong> This tragedy reminds me of a very dear friend the late Arthur Chisnall who ran a jazz club at Ell Pie Island at Twickenham, in London England in the 1960's (I was in my 20's). He talked about young people that didn't fit, who were square pegs in round holes. As an 'Islander' myself we were described as Bohemians or 'Beatniks' and later 'Hippies' (by the press). A deviant culture of young people that only had questions about the way things were. Arthur described us as 'High communicant' individuals and believed that we were trend forming as a group. Later he told me that Society is changed by such people and described Ell Pie Jazz Club as a 'therapeutic community' where different ideas about the world and the way we live were tolerated and speaking personally I made many friends (including Arthur) because they made me feel I wasn't crazy after all. If you were young and didn't 'conform' or behave as expected it came at the price of being isolated and alienated from 'normal' people aro und you.</p>
<p>50 years later it hasn't got much better. In the 1960's being 'Gay' for example was illegal and was a sort of license to beat a 'Fag/Dike' almost to his/her death and get away with it! It wouldn't get reported because the gay person would in trouble if they did report it anyway. Even now it's not a good idea to come 'out' especially if you are still in school because you can still get a beating for it. Also being a nerd is still not 'normal' in spite of the fact that we now have a TV comedy show about 'Nerds' (Big Bang Theory) Nerdy is not normal and is still socially undesirable.</p>
<p>MIT deals with such young people all the time but they don't seem to have any idea what they are dealing with. Their behavior is shameful dealing with Aaron Swartz and I thought they were probably the best in the World until now! Don't they employ any 'social' workers at that school? Why didn't they talk to Aaron Swartz when this problem came up and where was the support of Aaron when he needed it most? As for the people that post comments saying that Aaron screwed up because he committed suicide as though it absolved them from any responsibility towards him are the same as those beating up a 'fag' for being a 'Fag' I don't buy the 'he was clinically depressed' line either. Isaac Newton was depressed by the reaction to his early papers so he stopped publishing anything for years. Darwin had problems so severe he wasn't sure he should publish at all and it took the scientific community about 3 year after 'the theory of relativity' was published before the penny dropped. Aaron's story also reminds me of Alan Turin (a brilliant mathematician who was instrumental in saving England by cracking the German Enigma codes but was later fixed for his deviance but was hounded to his suicide because he was gay</p>
<p>My heart goes out to the Swarts family for their loss of Aaron. His loss is everyone's loss and most importantly we are all responsible for it. That's EVERYONE in Society must be blamed !</p>
<p>Jack Lambert, Playleader. Book published 'Adventure Playgrounds' Penguin Books 1972</p>
<p><strong>robert wengronowitz, boston, ma, USA, spouse of graduate student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Janet Hull, Bryn Athyn, PA, USA</strong> You failed to see one of the great minds of our times before you.</p>
<p>His action was symbolic - an expression of the sort of spirit that sprung up in the sixties.</p>
<p>Many of us have been waiting for youth willing to speak out for social justice again.</p>
<p>You pushed him to far.</p>
<p>Your actions betray a misplacement of values in a time when corrupt persons in finance and government RIDE HIGH.</p>
<p>Are you on the side of the TRUTH?</p>
<p><strong>Taifa Kimbrough, Los Angeles, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Levente Hajdu, Bellmore, N.Y., USA, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>carol boyd, trinidad, ca, usa</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alan Palm, Cambridge, MA, US, Cambridge resident</strong></p>
<p><strong>James Jacobs, San Francisco, CA, USA, Friend of Aaron, librarian, info activist</strong></p>
<p><strong>Christopher Hilton, Milford, CT, USA, -</strong></p>
<p><strong>Diana Vance, Los Angeles, CA, United States, Never</strong> I had such a high opinion of MIT but not now. Helping kill one of the best and brightest is something you can never come back from. Shame on you.</p>
<p><strong>Peter Lunt, Douglasville, GA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Chandra Deas, North Augusta, SC, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Pradumn Joshi, Surat, Gujarat, India</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jessica Lee White, Boston, MA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Hossein Khodabandeh, Springfield, Virginia, USA</strong> If you don' t sue US government and demand the removal of this fashist who call herself prosecuter, then you are no better than those responsible forAaron Swartz' s death.</p>
<p><strong>Alistair McCall, Brighton, UK</strong></p>
<p><strong>Gary Lee, Signal Hill, CA, USA</strong> MIT should be embarrassed and ashamed. They have contributed to this sad event in the worst possible way, by not speaking out for Aaron when they knew they should have. MIT has damned itself now. The very least they can do now is to apologize and promise that they will make sure this never happens again.</p>
<p><strong>Lisa Marie Rosen, Las Vegas, NV, USA, No affiliation</strong></p>
<p><strong>Rebecca Romatoski, Boston, MA, 02135, Alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Christian Sevilla</strong></p>
<p><strong>Geoffrey Goba, kennebunk, Me., USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jason Poulos, Brookline, MA, US, Staff</strong></p>
<p><strong>robert zeller, lindenhurst, ny, usa</strong></p>
<p><strong>Martin Reinhart, Des Plaines, IL, USA, MIT Class of 61</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sam Gendell, glencoe, il, usa</strong></p>
<p><strong>Frederick Freiheit, Ann Arbor, MI, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jimmy Duong</strong></p>
<p><strong>Thomas Brierly, San Francisco, CA, US, NONE</strong> I hope President Reif's investigation exposes the injustice in this case. MIT should not have been a part of this DOJ prosecution and frankly, embarrassing that this institution was. I would hope that it would have been recognized before the tragedy.</p>
<p><strong>jonathan McMenamin-Balano</strong></p>
<p><strong>michael semb wever, asker, asker, norway</strong> Appalling immature and commercial behaviour from what should be an instituation of education and research built upon the principles of promoting open access to information.</p>
<p><strong>Mark Epstein, Ewing, NJ, USA</strong> The MIT administration has proven, through its aiding and abetting the malicious prosecutorial misconduct and overreach of US attorney Camen Ortiz and her colleagues, that it stands for the worst in Korporate Akademia. It is sufficent only to look at the role, status, pay and essentially slave-status and institutional abuse of adjuncts in US &quot;higher&quot; education, vs. the self-promotion, astronomical pay-scales, subservience to the worst in Korporate AmeriKa through their boards of trustees, the denial of tenure (or firings in other cases) of extremely qualified and competent dissenters such as Norman Finkelstein from their academic positions, and the hiring of corrupt war-criminals with no relevant academic credentials whatsoever (Tony Blair at the Yale Divinity School, no, I'm not joking...), to see what I mean about these types of administrations in Korporate Akademia. In the case of Aaron Swartz they not only had the example of the main injured party, JSTOR, who had decided not to prosecute, but that they SHOULD have had the ovverriding professional, ethical, and scientific, promotion and distribution of knowledge concerns to guide them as an academic institution. That the role of US attorney Camen Ortiz (who should be behind bars for much longer terms than those she threatens others with, for her malicious prosecutions, in other cases against those who were fully protected by First Amendment rights, ...) is much more vicious, despicable, and totally in violation of the professional and moral code US attorneys should be held to when upholding the law of the land and the Constitution (Obama's violations notwithstanding....) than that of MIT as an institution is not a defense. As I said at the beginning of this messasge they &quot;aided and abetted&quot;, and those administrators who were responsible for these decisions should be made to pay the professional consequences.<br /> That Aaron Swartz should have been thuggishly bullied into suicide, when the US Federal Govt and its &quot;Justice&quot; Dept. are only &quot;wondering&quot; whether to prosecute Lance Armstrong after decades of the most vile conduct in violation of the law, ethics, sportsmanship, etc. essentially stole tens of millions of dollars from the US taxpayers via the USPS sponsored team, or while all the major Wall St. firms were guilty of most atrocious illegalities that resulted in a global economic meltdown, the ruining of 100's of millions of lives, the national economy among others, and yet the US &quot;Justice&quot; Dept. has not engaged in the prosecution of a single major Wall St. firm or thier Korporate hierarchies for crimes that have been clearly proven, documented and published (cf. Matt Taibbi's excellent articles in &quot;Rollling Stone&quot; among others), just shows the farce that &quot;US justice&quot; has become these days. That the MIT administration should have helped in aiding and abetting these horrific and eg regious double standards that victimize the majority of the civil population in the US, is to its eternal, unerasable, and unforgettable shame. A little less phony indignation about the violence committed by the mentally insane, and infinitely more about that committed every minute by the major institutions (Korporate and &quot;public&quot;) in this country will be essential to move this country out of its current condition as a tyrannical empire, and somewhat closer to the ideals the Founding Fathers thought of, perhaps dreamt of, but at least partially pursued....</p>
<p><strong>Dan Youngblood, South Lake Tahoe, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mary Tucker-Pettersen, Corpus Christi, Texas, USA</strong> MIT is &quot;Education without Character&quot; Ghandi</p>
<p><strong>Hans Siegenthaler, Bal Harbour, FL, USA, thankfully none</strong> You should all be ashamed of yourselves for your part in the persecution of Aaron Swartz that his family feels led to his death. If just one of you had the decency to do the right thing this young man could still be alive today. What a waste that a great mind was extinguished to appease those with average minds lusting for vengeance disguised as justice. Shame on all of you involved with this tragedy.</p>
<p><strong>Kachina Gosselin, Cambridge, MA, USA, Alumni</strong> I do not know all the details surround Aaron Swartz death and I do not think MIT is entirely to blame. However, I do feel that MIT should have reacted with less ambiguity and supported the dismissal of his charges.</p>
<p>How can we move towards an era of open science and communication if the world's greatest technical university does not publicly support the advocates of such a movement? Open education is inevitable despite opposition and rightly so. It will enable growth in technical expertise and accessible innovation at a time when the world needs it the most.</p>
<p>I urge you to issue an apology for the role played, however slight, that contributed to Aaron Swartz suicide. It will renew my respect in MIT if you react with responsibility rather than shield the university's reputation. Greatness is not achieved by getting through tough times unnoticed but by making waves to stand by what is right.</p>
<p>Yours truly, Kachina Gosselin</p>
<p><strong>Peter Jenner, OTLEY, Yorkshire, England</strong></p>
<p><strong>Daniel Gundlach, New York, NY, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Saras Udanpur, UK</strong> &quot;All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.&quot; - Thomas Jefferson</p>
<p><strong>John Gosselin, Brest, Finistère, France</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alessandro Gorbi, Parma, PR, Italy</strong> Please support &quot;la meglio gioventù&quot;, they are the only possible, sustainable future for our species, even the dumbest men should aknowledge that the marginal advantage (if ever) of encouraging greed has peaked already. We will always remember you Aaron.</p>
<p><strong>Joe Emersberger, Windsor, ON, Canada, n8w 2x7</strong></p>
<p><strong>Max Ride</strong></p>
<p><strong>Utkarsh SIngh Rathore, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, None</strong></p>
<p><strong>Karim Gillani, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada</strong></p>
<p><strong>stephen callerame, boston, ma, usa</strong></p>
<p><strong>Luvena Ong, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Antony Wright, London, UK</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alan Hodgkinson, Switzerland, 6.1 &amp; 6.3 '82</strong> As an MIT graduate I am surprised, embarrassed and disappointed at MIT's lack of compassion to one of its own. Given that JSTOR did not intend to prosecute, I would have thought a stern warning and 'talking to' (and perhaps being banned/expelled) by MIT officials would have been sufficient. Tacitly supporting a draconian punishment, far beyond that meted out to armed criminals or white collar criminals who steal millions, was absurd and extremely unfair. The proposed punishment absolutely did fit the crime. I would have thought MIT would have taken this into account and reacted in a more even handed manner.</p>
<p>As stated in the petition, I urge MIT to reconsider it's stance and reaction.</p>
<p><strong>Alexander Lampert, Los angeles, California, USA</strong> Please apologize for your actions whose consequences or lack of action, also carried the same consequences; resulting in a human death.</p>
<p><strong>Sofya Raskhodnikova, alumna</strong> It is the first time in my life that I am ashamed of my alma mater's actions.</p>
<p><strong>Shriram Padmanabhan, Pune, Maharashtra, 411020</strong></p>
<p><strong>Morteza Jalalvand, Iran</strong></p>
<p><strong>Derek Martin, Nr. Spean Bridge, Inverness-shire, Scotland</strong> action proposed.</p>
<p><strong>Jennifer McClinton, Linden, NJ, US</strong> I am not a student of MIT but I sadden that Aaron Swarz took his own life because of this prosecution. I think that MIT should have supported Aaron. I think that it was unfair to pursue a case against him for having access to legal taxpayer information from JSTOR. It seems like this case was treated as if SOPA is the law of the land but copyright is. So this is about copyright?! Aaron is dead because of copyright!</p>
<p><strong>David Greenberg, New York, Alumnus</strong> The benefit of MIT is the community. Without it, it's just another cookie-cutter school. We get the dreamers, the protesters, and the founders coming from within our halls. MIT must stand by its students, faculty, affiliates, and friends, because without that, we cannot innovate and createwe'll be indistinguishable from Harvard or Yale, and that would be a shame, as we would lose our identity.</p>
<p><strong>Kris Lee, Singapore, Singapore, Singapore, Sibling of an MIT alumnus, friend of many MTI alumni.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Margo Kavanaugh, Lincolnwood, IL, USA</strong> Do the right thing.</p>
<p><strong>George Forrester, 27 Kathdene Gardens, Bristol, UK, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Norig Karakashian, Glendale, CA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Tara Curtis, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, n/a</strong></p>
<p><strong>Harry Rusche, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A., none-except with several colleagues I admire.</strong> I have been teaching at Emory University for 50 years and I know how to deal with undergraduates. Your treatment of Aaron was absolutely reprehensible. A university like MIT could have shown some compassion for this young man. I hope someone in the university feels some remorse and guilt. Shame on you!</p>
<p><strong>Wendy Johnson, Prairieville, LA, USA, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sami Jarjour, Columbus, GA, United States</strong> I hope MIT chooses to be on the right side of history.</p>
<p><strong>Edwin Knight, Seoul, Korea</strong></p>
<p><strong>Aravinda Pillalamarri, Bel Air, Maryland, US, visitor</strong> Till now I have always felt an affinity for MIT. In the years I lived and worked in Boston I spent many evenings and weekends on the campus, in the library, attending events or strolling the infinite corridor. In spite of its numbered buildings or maybe even because of them, the place had a homely feeling and I always felt welcome there. In fact, one of my pet stories to tell used to be how I was able to log in to athena using a login passed along to me by a homeless person. All I did was look things up in the library, thereby impressing my co-workers the next day with my fast turnaround on research questions. I was young, it was the 90s. Incidentally I worked at BBN, one of the internet pioneers, where we also had numbered buildings, just like MIT.</p>
<p>(fya, I logged in as root with password mrroot. I assume this no longer works, though I have not tried it in many years. Sorry if I am revealing any secret here.)</p>
<p>I am now far from Boston and though I thought I was aware of issues like this, I had not heard of Aaron Swartz till now and I am more than shocked by the role MIT has played. MIT the place where anyone is allowed to audit a course (at least this is what the word on the street was). I can no longer smile when I see news of MIT students playing tetris on a building, I can no longer think of MIT without thinking of Aaron Swartz. Aaron Swartz who read Noam Chomsky at age 18 and dedicated his life to changing the world. If we do not work to address causes like freedom of knowledge through legal means, then we are going to see more idealistic and self-sacrificing people like Aaron Swartz putting the cause ahead of themselves. When we do, I hope that we can recognize their abilities and seek their guidance for the sake of a more just and humane society.</p>
<p><strong>Aravinda(paravinda@yahoo.com)</strong> In the years I lived and worked in Boston I spent many evenings and weekends on the MIT campus, in the library, attending events or strolling the infinite corridor. In spite of its numbered buildings or maybe even because of them, the place had a homely feeling and I always felt welcome there. In fact, one of my pet stories to tell used to be how I was able to log in to athena using a login passed along to me by a homeless person. All I did was look things up in the library, thereby impressing my co-workers the next day with my fast turnaround on research questions. I was young, it was the 90s. Incidentally I worked at BBN, one of the internet pioneers, where we also had numbered buildings, just like MIT.</p>
<p>(fya, I logged in as root with password mrroot. I assume this no longer works, though I have not tried it in many years. Sorry if I am revealing any secret here.)</p>
<p>I am now far from Boston and though I thought I was aware of issues like this, I had not heard of Aaron Swartz till now and I am more than shocked by the role MIT has played. MIT the place where anyone is allowed to audit a course (at least this is what the word on the street was). I can no longer smile when I see news of MIT students playing tetris on a building, I can no longer think of MIT without thinking of Aaron Swartz. Aaron Swartz who read Noam Chomsky at age 18 and dedicated his life to changing the world. If we do not work to address causes like freedom of knowledge through legal means, then we are going to see more idealistic and self-sacrificing people like Aaron Swartz putting the cause ahead of themselves. When we do, I hope that we can recognize their abilities and seek their guidance for the sake of a more just and humane society.</p>
<p>If we can’t we may want to ban Noam Chomsky for 18-year olds and make them wait till they are old enough to sit in cafes and just talk about it.</p>
<p><strong>Scott Morrison, Aberdeen, Scotland, None</strong></p>
<p><strong>Fesquet Didier, Montpellier, France</strong></p>
<p><strong>Trevor Wilson, Irvine, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Victor Negron, Cambridge, MA, United States, Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lauren Watkins</strong></p>
<p><strong>Craig Montuori, Mountain View, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>marianne woods</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anu Mirmira, Naperville, IL, USA</strong> Educational institutions has moral obligation to teach and show compassion. MIT failed miserably in setting an example. Knowing the facts of the case any reasonable person would have concluded that the case should have been dropped by MIT. It baffles me that the institution with such an esteem could not think reasonably and showed utter lack of compassion. On humanitarian level MIT is an utter failure as an institution.</p>
<p><strong>Patrick Smith, San Diego, CA, 92128</strong></p>
<p><strong>Y Silberman, Kihei, HI, USA, None</strong> Shame on you.</p>
<p><strong>Auroop Ganguly, Boston, MA, USA, Alumnus</strong> How far must we fall?</p>
<p><strong>Jaime Iglehart</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jim Roberts, Baltimore, MD, USA, none</strong> Read Rabindanath Tagore: To administer justice instead of fairness is to give a thirsty man a glass of sand.</p>
<p><strong>Mario Murphy, Oakland, CA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Fred Cowie, Brighton, Sussex, England, Teacher</strong> The only thing I could say would have to be face to face.</p>
<p><strong>Douglas Lobdell, El Paso, TX, USA, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Praveen Kumar Srinivasan, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, None</strong> Apologize for the despicable thing you have done. Stop your crocodile tears and bow to the wizard!</p>
<p><strong>Nilton Renno, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Alum</strong> The news of Mr. Aaron Swartz death, together with the finding that MIT was aggressively pursuing him caused great sadness to me. What is extremely sad is that this brought to light the complex relationship that MIT has with hackers and pranksters. MIT needs to reflect and review this relationship.</p>
<p><strong>Gayathri Mahendran, Chennai, India</strong></p>
<p><strong>John Whaley, Fremont, CA, USA, MIT '98 alumnus</strong></p>
<p><strong>Alex Newman, San Francisco, CA, USA, Lover</strong></p>
<p><strong>Liz Fear, Bethlehem, PA, USA</strong> Shame.</p>
<p><strong>Christian Ghiaus, Villeurbanne, France</strong> It's sad that MIT supported a disproportionate indictment.</p>
<p><strong>Anonymous</strong> Hey Yan. I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for writing the petition. I just now signed it, although I'm still waiting for the e-mail confirmation. Anyway, this is an awful case of injustice. I really do hope some good comes of it.</p>
<p>Gotta run. Have a lovely night.</p>
<p>D</p>
<p><strong>Douglas Roark</strong></p>
<p><strong>Carlos Araya, Palo Alto, CA, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>umberto lombardo</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anson Mackay, London, UK</strong></p>
<p><strong>Elaine Dombi, Hudson, Oh, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Anna Waldman-Brown, San Francisco, CA, USA, alum</strong></p>
<p><strong>Amirali Abdullah, Salt Lake City, Utah, America</strong></p>
<p><strong>Vincere CoeurDeLumiere, Northfield, New Hampshire, United States of America, MIT open study Appreciator</strong> [To remove the majority of this stain, apologize. To bleach this stain, Chastise the prosecutors in Public form.]</p>
<p><strong>Michael Lachanski, Princeton, NJ, 07036</strong></p>
<p><strong>Lupei Zhu, St Louis, MO, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Zoz Brooks, Boston, MA, USA, PhD Alumnus</strong> As MIT adopts a more traditional corporate structure, it should at a minimum implement mandatory training for administrators and management staff on the history and values of the institution. A better solution would be to reverse this descent towards a corporation which only values the bottom line.</p>
<p><strong>Scott B, SLC, UT, USA</strong> FUCK YOU...... MIT</p>
<p><strong>Mila Marinova, Sofia, Bulgaria</strong></p>
<p><strong>Carol Fritz, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Cornell, AB; Univ. of PA, MA; Temple JD</strong></p>
<p><strong>Benazeer Noorani, Cambridge, MA, Alumna, 6-1, 2004</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jamie Eppolite, Los Angeles, CA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Nicole R, Beaverton, Oregon, USA, None</strong></p>
<p><strong>Leon Ko, Fort Lee, NJ, none</strong> please apology</p>
<p><strong>Donna Benenson, Wilton, CT, USA, Wellesley College '74 exchange student 1973-74</strong> MIT's silence and inaction is a disgrace and an unconscionable and indefensible betrayal of the very ideals an academic institution is meant to uphold. You've revealed yourselves as bought corporate puppets - intimidated where you are not soulless - and have extinguished any semblance of the place that welcomed free thought and activism and invention, when I was a student there in the photography department, via your exchange program with Wellesley. I knew many MIT students and knew MIT as a beacon of independent thinking and creation. But that MIT is now gone - inexplicably. And what adds to the tragedy of your extreme and incomprehensibly disproportionate pursuit of Aaron, is that you had a choice to act with justice instead of in collusion with the DOJ's prosecutors' maniacal self-interest and ignorance - ignorance you, had you acted in good faith, could have corrected and modified. You are shameless. And too late with your investigation, when for two years you had all the information you needed to act with humanity and genuine respect for the truth. For the truth of the situation is that Aaron Swartz did not warrant being made an example. His actions did not warrant felony charges, even with a six month sentence - let alone 35 plus years and a million dollars. And you knew this. So save us from the investigation about what happened. You knew and know what happened. Your dishonesty and collusion with the DOJ is despicable. The MIT that my generation knew is gone.</p>
<p><strong>Ye Zhao, Cambridge, MA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Harry Williams, Liverpool, England</strong></p>
<p><strong>Francisco VALOR, San Antonio, Texas, Usa</strong></p>
<p><strong>Shaun Malone, Irving, TX, US</strong> When order is valued over creativity and punishment is a higher &quot;good&quot; than ethics in action, we kill our geniuses, just as surely as if we pulled the trigger.</p>
<p><strong>Pamela Melcher, Portland, Oregon, USA, Daughter of an Alumnus</strong> He was inspired by the highest ideals of MIT as a source of truth and light for the betterment of our species and our world.</p>
<p>People like Aaron Swartz were his heroes, and he would have been deeply grieved over the way that MIT failed to act in ways that could have spared Aaron much pain and, most likely, his life.</p>
<p>It would have broken his heart, as he was very loyal to MIT. He was the Editor of his class Yearbook. He supported his fraternity and MIT in many ways through the years. He chose a Quaker school for me, Friends' Central School in Philadelphia, a school which placed a high priority on the sanctity of human life, social justice, compassion and peace. He worked for many years with the Dean of Boys at the school to inform the students about the virtues of MIT. When he passed away, he left a very substantial gift to MIT.</p>
<p>His greatest hero was Gandhi.</p>
<p>Please, as a community that is hopefully shaped by its historically active participants, consider that my Father would have been deeply grieved by the likely tragic effect of MIT's actions on one of his generation's brightest lights, Aaron Swartz. I encourage you to do all in your power to insure that nothing like this ever happens again.</p>
<p>Thank you for your attention to my concerns as I speak for my Father.</p>
<p>In the Light, Pamela Melcher</p>
<p><strong>Jared Owen, Camrbidge, MA, 02141, Graduate Student, Course 7</strong></p>
<p><strong>Yuri George Sivo, Berkeley, CA, USA, interned, worked at Media Lab in the earlyh 80s.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Patrice Taylor, Washington, DC, USA, none</strong> Support Representative Zoe Lofgren's legislation (&quot;Aaron's Law&quot;) to repair an old law, The Computer Fraud &amp; Abuse Act, that is so vague it allowed over-zealous, career-promoting prosecutors to intimidate a bright young man to death. Do it now so we can begin to heal.</p>
<p><strong>Joe Madrid, El paso, Tx, Usa</strong></p>
<p><strong>ak kidd</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jenny Hong</strong></p>
<p><strong>James King, Waukesha, Wisconsin, US</strong></p>
<p><strong>Aria Stewart, Somerville, MA, USA, Admirant</strong></p>
<p><strong>Steven Bhardwaj, Boston, MA, USA, Boston University PhD Student</strong></p>
<p><strong>Eyal Lapid, None</strong></p>
<p><strong>Sarah Reiwitch, Oakland, CA, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Erika Jonietz, Austin, TX, USA, alumna</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jeff Bradley, Grand Junction, Colorado, U.S.A.</strong> wow!</p>
<p><strong>susan proffitt, los angeles, ca, usa</strong></p>
<p><strong>Keith Connolly, Mesa, Arizona, USA, Was accepted but did not enroll.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dan Kaminsky, San Francisco, CA, USA</strong> This incident has a profound effect on my opinion of MIT as an institution.</p>
<p><strong>Donna Pe'er</strong></p>
<p><strong>David Barron, Vancouver, BC, Canada</strong></p>
<p><strong>NELLY CRESS, santa barbara, ca, usa</strong> SHAME ON YOU MIT!</p>
<p><strong>Scott Rigby, Philadelphia, PA, United States</strong></p>
<p><strong>Jeri Dubec, Houston, TX, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>martin wells, greensboro, nc, usa, none</strong> I think some emphasis should be shed on just how important rss is to breaking the shackles of institutional media giants... He is your hero</p>
<p><strong>Brandon Reed, Totowa, New Jersey, USA, none</strong></p>
<p><strong>Dave Norman, Hood River, OR, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Albert Carter, Cambridge, MA, US, Staff</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bruno Guiraut, Belgium</strong></p>
<p><strong>Andrew Kruyer, Peterborough, Cambridge, United Kingdom</strong></p>
<p><strong>Caroline Blehart, Brooklyn, New York, USA</strong></p>
<p><strong>Clark Slagle</strong></p>
<p><strong>gordon coombes, glace bay, NS, Canada</strong> Shame on MIT for the persecution of Aaron Swartz who was acting on his belief that information should be accessible to everyone .</p>
<p><strong>Nathan Lewis, Provo, UT</strong></p>
<p><strong>BEAUDOIN Andy, Dijon, France</strong> Hello, I am French, I just learned of the death of this young man who has contributed so much to the internet free (libre)! I pay tribute to him ...</p>
<p><strong>Dominic Temple, London, UK</strong></p>