Don't Miss The Powerful Trailer For The Aaron Swartz Documentary: The Internet's Own Boy

from the wish-aaron-could-see-this dept

A year ago, we wrote about filmmaker Brian Knappenberger’s efforts to put together a documentary about Aaron Swartz. It wasn’t going to be a “memorial,” but rather an “investigative documentary” into Swartz’s story and the lawsuit against him. Earlier this year, a very rough cut of the film made it to Sundance, where it received a tremendous reaction. In January, Knappenberger also put together some clips for a short trailer including some of Swartz’s comments about the NSA, to help highlight “The Day We Fight Back.” Now the film is finally getting close to an actual release, and a very powerful trailer has been released.

With so much going on in the world on a variety of issues that Aaron cared so deeply about, just this trailer should remind everyone how much the world has lost, and how much we’re missing without Aaron around to help on these issues any more. Though, with that sadness, hopefully it also inspires more people to step up and help out — whether it’s copyright, corruption, surveillance, access to knowledge, net neutrality or anything else, the world needs the kind of help that Aaron provided for years. But now people have to figure out how to do it without him.

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Comments on “Don't Miss The Powerful Trailer For The Aaron Swartz Documentary: The Internet's Own Boy”

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33 Comments
zip says:

Re: Re: Re:2 Video Down On Techdirt

Many webpage-embedded videos tend to be very fussy about the OS, browser and Flash version. The video doesn’t work for me, either Techdirt’s embedded or the Yahoo link. But that’s typical and I’m used to it. I’ve never understood why download links seem to have gone out of fashion — I’d love to turn back the clock to 1999 when everything could just be downloaded and run.

If anyone would like to extract the video and upload it to a hosting site, please feel free — it looks like many of would appreciate it. (or are movie trailer copyrights enforced?)

Anonymous Anonymous Coward says:

Re: Re: Video Down On Techdirt

I am using Firefox on Xubuntu, but an older version of Flash, due to Adobe no longer developing for Linux. I see it in both places and watched it on YouTube.

My Flash is 10.3.183.90 whereas most of the rest of the world is on 13 something, and there was an update yesterday for a critical issue. Mine did not update since there is no new version that will work on my old ThinkPad under Linux.

Hope this helps.

David says:

Re: Re: but everyones ignorant!

History repeats itself and right now there is the build up of dissatisfaction that will eventually burst as bubbles do.

So what? This will just end like Tienanmen Square. Or Occupy Wallstreet.

The state-controlled media will report about terrorists/nutcases protesting somewhere, then about the protests getting dissolved or people losing interest while a large number of protesters lands themselves in the hospital with self-inflicted wounds and will serve prison time for assault on police officers who managed to escape with minor lacerations (if any) almost miraculously.

Andrew Norton (profile) says:

If anyone’s interested, I’m about 90% certain we’re going to have Brian at the Dragoncon EFForums track this labor day weekend, and quite possibly a screening as well (if you’re becoming interested Mike, you know how to get in touch, although I understand if it’s still a no).
Should also have some of the EFF guys there too, as well as our regular experts on cryptography, the law, copyright trolling etc.

David says:

I see the following:

“We’re so sorry. We’re no longer able to display this video. Please check out one of these related videos:” followed by two links/stills of “Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Ret…”.

My guess would be a takedown notice of Disney Corporation.

Really, the U.S.A. deserves what it gets. Stop praying to the interests of big money. It does not indicate much more than whose ancestry including himself were most consistently reckless in grabbing stuff that was not supposed to be proprietary but a national treasure. Starting with the land and wildlife, and nowadays culture and knowledge.

Anonymous Coward says:

the problem is that trying to overcome authority is almost impossible. they have the means to do anything to keep themselves at the helm and us drowning in the wake behind. we’ve seen in the reports about Aaron how those responsible can twist, can manipulate and forge ‘evidence’ into what they want, how they want, all to make sure that they never get the blame for the disgraceful deeds they do. look at how the college itself and staff aided in what happened and denied it all!!

GEMont (profile) says:

Re: Re:

The Optimist’s Challenge

There is one bright light at the end of the tunnel though.

This process has run its course numerous times on earth.

Its called fascism and its the death spasm of every society that uses wealth as a measure of a person’s importance.

Its the way all money based civilizations disintegrate and dissolve.

The rich get richer and richer and eventually join forces to buy the reigns of power, in order to get even richer still.

But that is their only drive – more wealth.

They don’t really have a plan beyond “get stinking rich and live like gods”.

The system will fall apart around them, as you can see already happening, but they won’t spend the money to repair it because they want to horde that money away in their offshore accounts. They think that vast wealth will keep them safe after everything falls apart.

It always has in the past.

Once this nation falls, they believe all they have to do is go live in another nation and their wealth will buy them security anywhere they want to go.

It always has in the past.

Like rats, they always depart the sinking vessel before it goes under, so all we have to do is wait till they destroy the money based infrastructure and leave, then build something useful and functional that does not use money as a measure of a human’s life as the basis for that new society.

Remember, the wealthy will have horded away all the money in America by that point and will take it all with them when they leave anyway. So a non-monetary system is a necessity.

Big task certainly, but since the public has already begun to take over most of the really vital functions of the delinquent fascist government – out of simple necessity – it should not be an un-surmountable challenge.

And in truth, there really isn’t any other choice. There is nothing that can be done to stop the process once the fascists have taken over the political, financial and industrial structures. They will literally milk it to death.

Build another money based economy and you will only start the same curve downhill once again. The Money-run is a fun ride for some – the most ruthless and opportunistic, selfish and self-serving criminals among us – but the end is inevitable and always the same for the rest.

And the only way you can start a new civilization, is after the old one is dissolved, so the optimist says “they’re doing us all a favor by destroying the system of corruption that currently masquerades as government.”.

Lets break the cycle and build something lasting for a change.

GEMont (profile) says:

Re: replaced the video

Thank you very much Mike.
I can almost see the wheels of Just-ICE turning, as they try and think up ways of turning this thing around.

It is literally up to the people now.
After all they say you get the government you deserve.
Aaron absolutely did not deserve this government.
I’m pretty certain that very, very, few Americans do.

Viva la Evolution!!

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