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AaronSwartz

#Aaron Swartz, the defender of open access

Introduction​

Born in 1986, Aaron Swartz was much more than just a programmer: he was a committed activist, a fierce defender of freedom of information and free access to knowledge.

Major contribution​

  • Co-founder of Reddit: Swartz co-created one of the largest social platforms on the web.
  • RSS: At the age of 14, he co-wrote the specification of the RSS format, which allows you to follow news online.
  • Open lib: He participated in the creation of this online library aimed at making all published books accessible to everyone.

Vision​

Swartz believed that all information should be free and accessible to everyone. He campaigned against laws that hindered the free flow of information on the Internet.

Anecdote​

In 2011, Aaron was arrested for massively downloading scientific articles from JSTOR via the MIT network. His trial sparked immense controversy, and helped fuel the debate on freedom of access to information.

Legacy​

Sadly, Aaron Swartz passed away at the age of 26. However, his fight for freedom of information continues to inspire generations of activists.