TOW 16: Aaron Swartz, Tech Prodigy and Internet Activist, Is Dead at 26

Aaron Swarth, a brilliant computer programmer and Internet activist, was found dead in his apartment on Friday. He was going through a difficult time as he had publicly exposed 4.8 million documents from the MIT database, as he believed they would be beneficial for the public to know. He could have faced a fine of $1 million, as well as 35 years in prison. His trials were to begin in April. Police had determined that he had committed suicide by hanging in his Brooklyn apartment. Swarth was a brilliant young man who had developed Reddit, the Internet sensation in Internet politics, as well as Demand Progress, the Internet activist group.

The article was written by Sam Gustin, a reporter from TIME that writes on business, technology, and public policy. TIME Magazine is a credible source.

This article is important in context. It displays the far-reaching effects of a not-perfect American judicial system that has the ability to make people do extreme things. Swarth's family believed that the decisions from the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney and MIT contributed to Swarth's suicide. This article will hopefully be a stepping stone towards a more reliable and fair judicial system.

The purpose of this article was to tell of the recent death of Aaron Swarth, his successes, and the possible implications behind his suicide.

The text was written for the general public, however, it would probably gain the most interest from Internet activists and supporters of Swarth's works.

Parallelism of words and clauses was used in the article. Gustin writes, "'Aaron’s insatiable curiosity, creativity and brilliance; his reflexive empathy and capacity for selfless, boundless love; his refusal to accept injustice as inevitable...'" (para 4). Beginning each clause in a similar way brings more attention to the words that describe Swarth. Using such complimentary and praising words to describe Swarth make the reader feel more sympathy for his death, and how a valuable life has just disappeared.

The author's purpose of telling the incredible successes of Swarth, along with the possible reasoning behind his death was accomplished. After reading, it was evident that Swarth was a highly intelligent young man with much potential to grow as a leading Internet activist. However, he was suffering from depression as well as a looming trial case, which could have heavily contributed to his death.