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Comment by JohnsonB | Hacker News Reader

The feds going after a 20-something idealistic activist, who we all knew was completely harmless, and hadn't committed a real crime? That can't be anything other than a severe and cruel abuse of power. I'm sorry but enough information was known at the time to conclude what was going on.

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What information? I'd legitimately appreciate links/sources of the situation's severity other than hindsight.

It didn't help that the people trying to shed light on the severity of the situation were met with comments like http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4529716

That comment was in reply to

> If the feds get their way you'll know exactly where to find him for the next 35 years.

I'm asking if people actually knew facts, not some tin-foil hat speculation (even if the tin-foil hat was right on the money).

tptacek didn't appear to question Aaron facing 35 years in jail, he was simply stating that actually "spending" that time in jail is unlikely.

See for example another comment from him at http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4529809

Edit:

There was nothing tinfoil about it. The indictment was publicly available, and a cursory search of news.google.com also brings up articles like this one

http://techland.time.com/2011/07/19/reddit-co-founder-aaron-...

I'm sorry, but I don't think you're replying to what I'm asking. I was looking for information from back then that sheds light on the severity of Aaron's situation, not just comments of the doubters. However, the stress of this thread is getting to me, and I need to back out. There's so much anger, sadness, and confusion concentrated in one place. I think it's best for me to step away for a couple of weeks.

It was known well in advance of that thread asking for help on HN that Aaron was facing major prison time from the prosecution by the feds, and we also knew a fairly detailed description of his 'crime', i.e. how he didn't really commit one.

6-8 months is not "major" prison time by any reasonable definition of that term.

Using upper limits only for theoretically possible court sentences is the same tactic the RIAA/MPAA uses to characterize copyright infringement damages, and it's just as much of a propaganda tactic in support of aaronsw as it is in support of those clowns.

> 6-8 months is not "major" prison time by any reasonable definition of that term.

That sounds like plenty 'major' for me. Have you been in prison? I have been in 'lock-up' for about 6 hours for the terrible crime of driving a foreign car in the Netherlands. I can tell you I did not enjoy it one little bit and the prospect of doing that 6 to 8 months would change me in ways that I would prefer not to think about. Jail is not funny, and multiple months are horrible, forget about years.

> Have you been in prison?

I've been in a submerged metal tube for some number of months. In many respects it's a worse environment than prison (though I can at least vouch for my fellow "inmates").

No email, no internet, no sleep, the stupid periscope watch with hydraulic oil dripping on your face.

Of course, I chose to do that. I would think that aaronsw knew that some nominal prison term would be a possibility of the choices he made, but I can only speak for myself.

> I've been in a submerged metal tube for some number of months. In many respects it's a worse environment than prison (though I can at least vouch for my fellow "inmates").

I think a big difference with prison is that prison is not voluntary.

> I think a big difference with prison is that prison is not voluntary

I tried to note that, but to be more clear: If you voluntarily take actions, over a long period of time, that involve the possibility of prison as a direct consequence of those actions, then I don't think you get to act completely surprised or indignant.

It's the reason I didn't complain too much (then or now) about my "plight"; as you say, I chose to be there.

Not to mention that a conviction under some of the charges he faced no doubt would have come with punitive terms that would bar him from computer and telecom use for many years beyond his actual sentence as terms of probation. For someone who grew up on the net, for whom much of his social support structure existed through virtual relationships, for whom identity and livelihood are defined by having access to these means of communication--the potential of that must have been a devastating prospect.

His actions were not harmless, and seem to satisfy the elements of several real crimes [1].

[1] http://www.volokh.com/2013/01/14/aaron-swartz-charges/

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