New documentary looks at life of open internet advocate Aaron Swartz

New documentary looks at life of open internet advocate Aaron Swartz
New documentary looks at life of open internet advocate Aaron Swartz

New documentary looks at life of open internet advocate Aaron Swartz

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Highland Park’s Aaron Swartz was a computer programming prodigy. As he grew older he put those skills toward activism. He dreamed of an open and expansive internet that would make information free and accessible for everyone. That fight became more serious in 2011 when he was indicted for hacking into an online archive of scholarly articles. Those charges were still pending when he was found dead early last year. A new documentary takes a closer look at the life and work of Aaron Swartz, and how the charges affected his goal to open the Web. We talk with Brian Knappenberger, director of The Internet’s Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz, and Robert Swartz, Aaron’s dad, about the film. Photo: Flickr/ragesoss