CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS: MIT President L. Rafael Reif emailed a message to the MIT community yesterday.
It expressed sympathy and attempted to put the equation between Aaron and the institute in the right perspective.
Yesterday we received the shocking and terrible news that on Friday in New York, Aaron Swartz, a gifted young man well known and admired by many in the MIT community, took his own life. With this tragedy, his family and his friends suffered an inexpressible loss, and we offer our most profound condolences. Even for those of us who did not know Aaron, the trail of his brief life shines with his brilliant creativity and idealism.
Although Aaron had no formal affiliation with MIT, I am writing to you now because he was beloved by many members of our community and because MIT played a role in the legal struggles that began for him in 2011.
I want to express very clearly that I and all of us at MIT are extremely saddened by the death of this promising young man who touched the lives of so many. It pains me to think that MIT played any role in a series of events that have ended in tragedy.
But more importantly, Reif, very prudently gave a glimpse of candid self-reflection and an honest probe.
People who have been angry all over the online universe over Aaron's court case handling and his untimely death, might appreciate and respect the MIT chief's effort in some introspection here.
He writes in the message:
I will not attempt to summarize here the complex events of the past two years. Now is a time for everyone involved to reflect on their actions, and that includes all of us at MIT. I have asked Professor Hal Abelson to lead a thorough analysis of MIT's involvement from the time that we first perceived unusual activity on our network in fall 2010 up to the present. I have asked that this analysis describe the options MIT had and the decisions MIT made, in order to understand and to learn from the actions MIT took. I will share the report with the MIT community when I receive it.
I hope we will all reach out to those members of our community we know who may have been affected by Aaron's death. As always, MIT Medical is available to provide expert counseling, but there is no substitute for personal understanding and support.
With sorrow and deep sympathy,
L. Rafael Reif
Reportedly, in July 2011, Swartz was indicted by a federal grand jury of wire fraud, computer fraud and other charges related to allegedly stealing millions of academic articles and journals from a digital archive at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Notably however, JSTOR itself did not press charges against him.
Swartz had pleaded not guilty to all counts, but faced 35 years in prison and a $1 million fine if convicted. His trial was to start later this year.
But with his suicide two days back, many online supporters have been expressing ire and criticising the case as being unfair and harsh.
