skysight-inc/HackerNews huggingface dataset:
I think that's the point here: use Aaron's case as a starting point to highlight over zealous prosecutors. Techie-nerd community is also relatively wealthy and influential: getting the word out and actually having an impact will be feasible.
"...beliefs which we share."

When I look at the most ubiquitous photo of Mr. Schwartz ( this one: http://memex.naughtons.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Aaron_... ), and I see that smile...

I sincerely do feel that "sharing beliefs" is an understatement.

I know that smile. That is my smile. I make it often. And perhaps many others do too. It's when I know I have no other business being exactly where I am except for the fact that I'm right.

I did not know him personally, yet I benefited personally from his mind, such that many of my projects were successful because I started mouthing off ideas that depended on RSS.

What if you collaborated with Newton? Spinoza? Even that fat bastard Leibniz? Huygens? Popper? Russell? Whitehead? What if you slogged through those theorems, or those symbols, or those programs? Did you simply "share beliefs"? What about those times, for brevity, you had to assume, at least in some partial, pseudometaphysical way, assume the identity of that author, and speak as if you were them, for clarity, gusto and confidence?

I cannot fully fathom these feelings, but even that "they took our kin from us" is an understatement.

We are building something here. An Architect of the Web was given no light to see, given no capacity to imagine his work come to fruition. There's more than belief sharing going on. "Sharing is caring" but that doesn't quite get at the right picture.
You are flatly wrong. Please stop posting misinformation.

"The USA [US Attorney] is invested by statute and delegation from the Attorney General with the broadest discretion in the exercise of such authority."

http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/tit...

The United States Attorney, within his/her district, has
plenary authority with regard to federal criminal matters.
This authority is exercised under the supervision and
direction of the Attorney General and his/her delegates.

The statutory duty to prosecute for all offenses against
the United States (28 U.S.C. § 547) carries with it the
authority necessary to perform this duty. The USA is
invested by statute and delegation from the Attorney
General with the broadest discretion in the exercise of
such authority.

The authority, discretionary power, and responsibilities of
the United States Attorney with relation to criminal
matters encompass without limitation by enumeration the
following:

Investigating suspected or alleged offenses against the
United States, see USAM 9-2.010;

Causing investigations to be conducted by the appropriate
federal law enforcement agencies, see USAM 9-2.010;

Declining prosecution, see USAM 9-2.020;

Authorizing prosecution, see USAM 9-2.030;

Determining the manner of prosecuting and deciding trial
related questions;

Recommending whether to appeal or not to appeal from an
adverse ruling or decision, see USAM 9-2.170;

Dismissing prosecutions, see USAM 9-2.050; and

Handling civil matters related thereto which are under the
supervision of the Criminal Division.
I know. Hilarious, isn't it?
Diving down a ridiculously slippery slope by jumping from voting to euthanasia is hardly productive to the discussion.

Instead, what would you say about jlgreco's contention that voting power should be given to those who have the greatest stake in the future?
Fairer would be to coax researchers to not submit content to closed journals.
Please stop posting this misinformation about federal prosecutors lacking discretion. It is a completely false statement.

"The USA [US Attorney] is invested by statute and delegation from the Attorney General with the broadest discretion in the exercise of such authority."

http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/tit...

The United States Attorney, within his/her district, has
plenary authority with regard to federal criminal matters.
This authority is exercised under the supervision and
direction of the Attorney General and his/her delegates.

The statutory duty to prosecute for all offenses against
the United States (28 U.S.C. § 547) carries with it the
authority necessary to perform this duty. The USA is
invested by statute and delegation from the Attorney
General with the broadest discretion in the exercise of
such authority.

The authority, discretionary power, and responsibilities of
the United States Attorney with relation to criminal
matters encompass without limitation by enumeration the
following:

Investigating suspected or alleged offenses against the
United States, see USAM 9-2.010;

Causing investigations to be conducted by the appropriate
federal law enforcement agencies, see USAM 9-2.010;

Declining prosecution, see USAM 9-2.020;

Authorizing prosecution, see USAM 9-2.030;

Determining the manner of prosecuting and deciding trial
related questions;

Recommending whether to appeal or not to appeal from an
adverse ruling or decision, see USAM 9-2.170;

Dismissing prosecutions, see USAM 9-2.050; and

Handling civil matters related thereto which are under the
supervision of the Criminal Division.
> I do know life in general will always be difficult for me.

Life is always difficult for everyone. The thing about depression isn't that it makes life easier or harder. (Lots of illnesses do that.) It's that it robs you of your perspective -- you only see the bad things.

> Huh. So, I can choose my thoughts and get out of this mess?

Not easily, no. If you could, you'd have fixed yourself long ago. But there are techniques you can learn. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness meditation, and so on. They really work.

Here's a simple trick that's as old as the hills. When you're facing a psychological obstacle (e.g. "Why can't I write this letter? Why is it distressing me so much?") write down what you're thinking and feeling. The act of putting it in words allows your conscious critical faculties to enter the loop, spot some of the erroneous subconscious beliefs that are screwing you up, and shoot them down.
This has nothing to do with the debate about guns and everything to do with prosecutorial and judicial discretion and the abuse there of.

Does the law matter? Does the law apply equally to everyone?

It certainly doesn't seem so. And if you look at the other examples I gave, this is all of a piece, irrespective of gun regulation. If you are wealthy and connected then many laws don't apply to you, or there is always a way around them. The prosecutors or judges will look the other way or go easy on you when you violate firearms law. Or, as with Rush Limbaugh, when you abuse prescription drugs. It's not a partisan issue, it's about class and status.

In the case of Aaron Swartz we have just such an example of being on the wrong end of prosecutorial discretion. JSTOR didn't go after Aaron, but the government decided to. They treated him like a terrorist.
PS: One idea I've had is to create an iPhone app that would allow you to see laws that apply to you at your current location. You could favorite issues you were concerned with (my personal examples are jaywalking, talking on a cell while driving, and turning right on red) and quickly see what the local rules are. It would be crowdsourced so that the entire community can contribute.

But alas, so many ideas, so little time.
https://twitter.com/aigeanta/status/290285112707399680
Damn it - will you give the guy a day to be remembered.

What's it to you? Can't you wait for one day. The articles you want will be waiting for you tomorrow. And the day after that. Aaron was a part of this community (see the black bar above) and many looked up to and respected him.

I'd be surprised if HN didn't get taken over today.
Pickpockets should get far more time than bank robbers, per proportional harm to the victim, imo
> His case was a simple hacking case (as the crime is defined in federal statutes). There was nothing special about it politically or technologically or procedurally

http://goo.gl/CNsfK

The prosecution's case ultimately depended on whether or
not breaking a Terms of Service agreement can be deemed a
violation of the 1984 Computer Fraud and Abuse Act -- the
principal federal anti-hacking statute. While the law was
designed to ban hackers from spreading viruses and stealing
property, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that
such activity includes violating Terms of Service
agreements.

The Seventh Circuit's decision was widely mocked by
internet experts, who noted that nearly anyone could become
criminally liable for reading blogs if a blog owner simply
set up an outrageous terms of service agreement.

In addition, a more recent decision by the Ninth Circuit
rejected the Seventh Circuit's reasoning in 2010, and the
Obama administration chose not to appeal the decision to
the Supreme Court.
I can't speak to this specific case, but I'm sure lots of fathers have been completely wrong about their sons.
He does not need a pardon. A pardon means that you did the crime, you are guilty -- also, it is usually conditional on your confession and statement of regret.

Martin Luther King never asked to be pardoned for his acts of civil disobedience.

The truth to be trumpeted is that he is "guilty" -- Aaron violated some very minor rules, and that we should admire him for that.
Quite so. But I don't think he killed himself because he feared prison. I think the fear of prison caused the depression, and the depression led him to kill himself.

It may seem like I'm hair-splitting, but it's an important difference.
Pshychological test
Aaron Swartz, a tribute denied
"You're submitting too fast. Please slow down. Thanks."

I'm finished with Hacker News. After the tragic death of Aaron Swartz, and HN not letting me post more than one comment (on different threads), I have realized HN is just another Digg. I loved Digg too, till I moved to Reddit.

Fuck you HN! A man's life is worth more than one comment, especially such a great man's life! I wish I could delete my account here but that's not possible. Go fuck yourself HN and YC.
FreeBSD Ports CVS End of Life on February 28th 2013
Think about the fact that before they started Apple Jobs and Woz were heavily involved in phone phreaking. What would they be doing instead if they had begun their careers today? Would they have dared to do the sort of things that Aaron did? And if the criminal justice system came down on them back then as hard as it did on Aaron today would Apple computer, or NeXt, or Pixar, etc. even exist today?

Aaron was not a bad guy, nor did he seem to ever act with malicious intent. He broke some rules, certainly, but should the punishment for rule breaking be the destruction of someone's life or should it be just enough of a push to make them avoid rule breaking while keeping them a productive member of society?
Ha it may not fit the bill for the standard HN post, but I will admit - it was pretty fascinating (thermal lift, flight path, etc). I see you're in the DFW area, I live in Denton! Nice to run into someone from the area on here.
Exactly, being a non profit only means that they distribute all their profit amongst themselves as salaries or investments.

The data would be much better at the hands of an entity that keeps the data accessible and gives the authors a right to reproduce their works elsewhere. A startup which does this would be excellent.
Federal prosecutors don't get to decide if laws are
overbroad or unconstitutional and choose not to enforce the
law...They enforce all of the laws on the books unless
someone with legal discretion (i.e. ,the head of the DOJ or
the president) issues an order telling them not to enforce
a particular (set of) law(s).

Simply untrue.

"The USA [US Attorney] is invested by statute and delegation from the Attorney General with the broadest discretion in the exercise of such authority."

http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/tit...

The United States Attorney, within his/her district, has
plenary authority with regard to federal criminal matters.
This authority is exercised under the supervision and
direction of the Attorney General and his/her delegates.

The statutory duty to prosecute for all offenses against
the United States (28 U.S.C. § 547) carries with it the
authority necessary to perform this duty. The USA is
invested by statute and delegation from the Attorney
General with the broadest discretion in the exercise of
such authority.

The authority, discretionary power, and responsibilities of
the United States Attorney with relation to criminal
matters encompass without limitation by enumeration the
following:

Investigating suspected or alleged offenses against the
United States, see USAM 9-2.010;

Causing investigations to be conducted by the appropriate
federal law enforcement agencies, see USAM 9-2.010;

Declining prosecution, see USAM 9-2.020;

Authorizing prosecution, see USAM 9-2.030;

Determining the manner of prosecuting and deciding trial
related questions;

Recommending whether to appeal or not to appeal from an
adverse ruling or decision, see USAM 9-2.170;

Dismissing prosecutions, see USAM 9-2.050; and

Handling civil matters related thereto which are under the
supervision of the Criminal Division.
I would say, and did say, that it's horrifyingly bigoted.

I would also say "all adult citizens" is probably the most just way to go about it. Inventing rationales to disenfranchise people is a dangerous way to enable bigotry.

On top of that, if you really want to give voting power to those who have the greatest stake in the future, then you should probably disenfranchise people without living descendants, or potentially give people more votes the more descendants they have. If you die without ever having children, you have no interest in what comes after your lifetime, but if you do have children, you want to pass on a better world and a better country to them. This is doubly true if you have grandchildren, since now you're interested in an even longer term, even after your children die. So why not give people one vote for themselves, two votes if they have children, three votes if they have grandchildren, and so forth, with one additional vote for each new generation added to their family line? This is also radically bigoted and unjust, but you could just as plausibly argue that it does give voting power to those who have the greatest stake in the future while having nearly the exact opposite effect.
Yes, it's much more likely that they know the age limit than your average baby boomer. Haven't you watched that show Are you smarter than a 5th grader? Most adults have shockingly poor general knowledge.
The YC startup ‘process'
I'm sure average 13 year old can't, and doesn't give half rat's ass about it, since average 13 year olds have different interests, but I would be glad to be proven wrong. Any proof? However, more interesting is that you think while you can disenfranchise US citizens at will, somehow you can't change eligibility age for presidency. Where this sudden reverence for tradition comes from, I wonder?
Aaron Swartz, hero.
It's also the reason why prosecutors at the federal level
generally do not have discretionary authority

"The USA [US Attorney] is invested by statute and delegation from the Attorney General with the broadest discretion in the exercise of such authority."

http://www.justice.gov/usao/eousa/foia_reading_room/usam/tit...

The United States Attorney, within his/her district, has
plenary authority with regard to federal criminal matters.
This authority is exercised under the supervision and
direction of the Attorney General and his/her delegates.

The statutory duty to prosecute for all offenses against
the United States (28 U.S.C. § 547) carries with it the
authority necessary to perform this duty. The USA is
invested by statute and delegation from the Attorney
General with the broadest discretion in the exercise of
such authority.

The authority, discretionary power, and responsibilities of
the United States Attorney with relation to criminal
matters encompass without limitation by enumeration the
following:

Investigating suspected or alleged offenses against the
United States, see USAM 9-2.010;

Causing investigations to be conducted by the appropriate
federal law enforcement agencies, see USAM 9-2.010;

Declining prosecution, see USAM 9-2.020;

Authorizing prosecution, see USAM 9-2.030;

Determining the manner of prosecuting and deciding trial
related questions;

Recommending whether to appeal or not to appeal from an
adverse ruling or decision, see USAM 9-2.170;

Dismissing prosecutions, see USAM 9-2.050; and

Handling civil matters related thereto which are under the
supervision of the Criminal Division.
Ah, so I imagined you mentioning "conservatives" who "pump out kids". I see. And 75-year-olds don't care neither for next 10 years they are expected to live, nor for their relatives, nor for their kids & grandkids, etc. Just wow.
New tool for web analytics on competitor websites
This is pretty common, even in desktop media players. VLC, for example, has a play/pause button that's labelled according to action, and a mute/unmute 'button' that's labelled according to state.

I put 'button' in quotes, though, to reflect a key difference: the mute/unmute control in VLC isn't actually a button; it's an icon without button styling sitting next to the volume slider, and this appears to be the case for other desktop media players as well. Since the presentation of the control is distinct, this might be less of an inconsistency with desktop players than with these web video players.

Still, there seems to be an increasing muddle between action and state in labeling UI controls, and that's not even considering functional controls that display arbitrary information unrelated to any current state, like icons for applications that display arbitrary content from a file created or accessed by that application (I'm looking at you, Windows Phone Photo app).

I really don't understand why there's so much wild experimentation with UIs in production software these days, but I do find my count of UI-related "WTF moments" going up every month.
No it is not racist. I called her a monkey because her actions show that she can't be a higher developed primate.

I don't know her race.
The folks at wherever, will do anything to save their skins. MIT is no different.
"Ortiz was prosecuting Aaron for actions that are, in fact, crimes, as defined by US law."

Violating web site terms of service is a civil issue, not criminal. Ortiz chose to create new law principles that violating not just explicit but implicit terms of service, such as by using an email provider that Ortiz does not approve of, should be considered a serious federal crime and prosecuted as such.

The argument that she was just following the law and prosecuting defined crimes is complete bunk.
My memory must be out of wack.
90% of new companies in America don't last 2 years, IIRC. Not That Different.
By this argument, rich people should have 1000:1 vote compared to poor people - their stake in the policy outcomes are far greater, they could lose millions upon millions with tax changes, regulation changes, economy downturns, etc. In fact, by this logic, poor people who don't pay taxes shouldn't be allowed to have voice in anything regarding taxation at all, since they won't be taxed and have no stake in it. You can go very far with this kind of twisted logic. Good thing nobody thinking this way would get anywhere near real power. At least in this regard the American political system yet holds some sanity and doesn't allow disenfranchising people to engineer some or other outcome.
I would also add that variables can be re-declared. Many beginners probably think that writing this code would produce an error:

var i = 0;
var i = [];

No runtime error will be produced, and the script will continue normal execution.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/birthers/ssn.asp
The law has never applied equally to everyone. Ever. That is a historical fact. My point is that Gregory is not an example that adds any value to this discussion. Its a smoke screen being employed at this political moment by the gun lobby to try, in any way possible no matter how absurd, to attack anyone who objectively discusses the pros and cons of gun control. You gave no other substantive 'example'. You listed areas where there is an imbalance of outcome, but frankly so what? My point still stands. David Gregory getting prosecuted for showing people what a high capacity clip looks like would not have ameliorated anything for anyone in regard to Aaron Swartz "being treated like a terrorist"(which, I agree, he was) and thus choosing to end his life.
The beta hasn't actually been officially announced yet. As of this comment it's still in a pre-beta stage. Taylor will announce the beta sometime on Monday, as per the following tweet: https://twitter.com/laravelphp/status/289880193580032001
Discovering a vulnerability
Science is the greatest achievement of mankind.

It's not right up there. It is there.
Just noticing the black "armband" worn by hn today.

Many tributes for this impressive man.
Good question - I guess I see 'talent' most commonly as the ability to quickly turn time applied into results - more talented programmers are productive more quickly in new environments, more talented musicians achieve more with an hour's practice than less talented musicians.
I think my own definition of 'talent' would seem to accord with your 'practice' concept.
Well considering bundles have been dropped in favor of packages it shouldn't really matter. There should never be any conflicts because packages should be namespaced in a vendor/package fashion, meaning one package can use Form helper A and another can use Form helper B without conflicting.
True man!
"Careful stewardship" is the next neighbour to censorship.
I wouldn't be surprised if they made a law making the family responsible for the crimes.

This might not occur in this case, but I see lobbyists wanting money for all those movies your children watched for free.
http://i.imgur.com/6qvVG.jpg
An 13 year old is in what, 8th grade? Probably the only year that most Americans ever spend learning about their own government? When else does the average american learn about their government, if not in school?
I suspect the decision was to maintain the quality of posts.
I do appreciate it. But I've become pretty good at fasting; so please, keep your money.

What I really want is for my gittip-for-the-homeless idea to get off the ground; and that's more a matter of sharing the idea than building some app. Indeed, it might simply be 1. Buy a [edit: wifi] pi. 2. Give it to a homeless guy (or gal! but for rhyme) 3. with a login wall that takes you to their gittip where it 4. explains why they're a street violinist.

Unfortunately since talking is a stronger form of learning for me, I find myself spending less time being a good little coder and more time sharing ideas with people (including coders who take them and run, which is a good thing).

Our hotbed copyright system promotes theft and discourages sharing. If I can get more hope about that turning around, I could fast for another week on joy alone.
That is likely, everyone deserves a second chance. But the system needs mending.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Koch_%28hacker%29
Have you considered disenrolling? Based on what has come out that this entire case has been pushed by MIT officials and JSTOR was opposed to it, affiliation with MIT right now, even as a student, looks to me like affiliation with the Nazi youth. Financial support of MIT through tuition looks like support of what is a terrorist organization.
Open APIs for Profile Avatar Images
Personally, I am now doing so. I will no longer cooperate with or work with individuals who maintain affiliation with this fascist organization. MIT should be shut down and its assets sold.
I think the coverage might be even worse than when Jobs died.
Where is the option to auto-ban certain domains? I've never seen it.