i am dirt under the rug.

“The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it.” — John Gilmore (1993) (IA)

No, I didn’t personally know Aaron Swartz.

So, you did—and in this context (archive), you unavoidably imply, and nigh declare outright that you can speak authoritatively for what Aaron’s opinion would be of “AI” companies slurping up books, regardless of authors’ wishes. That’s what it means, if I have no right to object—notwithstanding your demonstrated history of misappropriating others’ names to drive your “AI” agenda. Also thus, you unavoidably imply that Aaron would approve of how you responded to me on his behalf.

I knew Aaron. I know what he supported and what he didn’t, and FUCK YOU

As such, for Aaron’s sake, would you please set the record straight to Bruce Schneier and J. B. Branch, whom I cited and quoted—and to the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, which ran that Schneier and Branch piece (2026-01-14) essentially speaking for Aaron against “AI” corporate capture of knowledge? Perhaps you should do so more articulately. To improve your writing skills, for starters, please consider using fewer gratuitous expletives (and CAPSLOCK EXPLETIVE) than I sometimes used when I was sixteen years old. Protip: I could’ve been an excellent writer at that age, if I hadn’t thought that more F-bombs meant more grown-up looking and, like, super-sophisticated.

Go the fuck away dude [sic]. How fucking dare you pretend

(Aside, please note that I’m a “they/them” of indeterminate gender.)

Schneier’s blog has comments, open to the public, where you can provide feedback about Aaron’s opinions. Nowadays, Schneier has a strict moderation policy which forbids “toxic” behavior; I don’t yet know the status of my own comment there, in which I kept appropriate decorum for this discussion of respect for the good deceased. (It was much longer than this one. If it doesn’t get approved by Schneier’s paid part-timer moderator, I will guess it was just way too long for an unknown party apparently popping up out of nowhere.)

Your letter to the editor of the SF Chronicle on Aaron’s behalf would probably also need to meet some editorial standards.

Oh you can go fuck all the way off. [...]
Fuck off.

Playing here in your own sandbox, it’s easy for you to stick your tongue out at me and blow raspberries. After all, as yet, I have no established reputation and no influence. You’re a coward, Mr. Masnick.

Did you know Aaron or are you just fucking making pretend? I knew Aaron. Aaron was a colleague.

I observe that Aaron knew lots of people. Per the New Yorker article that I linked, Aaron was a YC batch mate with Sam Altman. Indeed, a “colleague”. I suppose that Sam knew Aaron Swartz pretty well; he probably has some opinion of what Aaron would have thought of this or that. Speaking hypothetically—not to put any words into Sam’s mouth here! To my knowledge, at least—in my current awareness, Sam Altman has not invoked Aaron on OpenAI’s behalf with the argument that you propound hereby. Just saying.

For my own part, Mike Masnick, I’ve had to start keeping a list of your deceptive statements, and even your outright falsehoods to propagandize for “AI”. Accordingly, I think I’m well-guided in general to take your statements under advisement—and with a grain of salt.