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The Prix Ars Electronica Archive is a collection enabling search and viewing of all the submissions since 1987. The award-winning projects are documented with catalogue texts and audio-visual media. All other submissions can be searched by title/artist and displayed with year, category in list form. Please cite the credits (artwork name, artist and photographer) and only use the materials if your article is related to Ars Electronica.
Aaron Swartz
Original: Aaron_Swartz_profile.jpg | 1078 * 1495px | 290.0 KB
Digital communities exist through the selfless efforts of many activists in the field, among whom we wish to mention Aaron Swartz.
Aaron Swartz (November 8, 1986 – January 11, 2013) was a US-born computer programmer, writer and activist involved in countless Internet projects such as the development of Creative Commons, social news site Reddit and the web feed format RSS. He was an active defender of open access who at the age of 12 started writing programs to liberate information. A year later, he was working with Sir Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World-Wide Web, and others on enhancing the Internet through the Semantic Web.
He devoted himself to protecting freedom of expression through initiatives such as Demand Progress and his tireless work against proposed legislation such as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). His digital political activism was work of genuine consequence; it was risky, and he suffered for it. Digital communities worldwide marked his passing as a watershed moment for the network society.
In the words of his friend and mentor Lawrence Lessig, “He was a hacker, someone who uses technical knowledge to make a better world.” Aaron Swartz will be remembered for being at the forefront of Internet freedom.
Aaron Swartz (November 8, 1986 – January 11, 2013) was a US-born computer programmer, writer and activist involved in countless Internet projects such as the development of Creative Commons, social news site Reddit and the web feed format RSS. He was an active defender of open access who at the age of 12 started writing programs to liberate information. A year later, he was working with Sir Tim Berners-Lee, creator of the World-Wide Web, and others on enhancing the Internet through the Semantic Web.
He devoted himself to protecting freedom of expression through initiatives such as Demand Progress and his tireless work against proposed legislation such as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). His digital political activism was work of genuine consequence; it was risky, and he suffered for it. Digital communities worldwide marked his passing as a watershed moment for the network society.
In the words of his friend and mentor Lawrence Lessig, “He was a hacker, someone who uses technical knowledge to make a better world.” Aaron Swartz will be remembered for being at the forefront of Internet freedom.