ThoughtWorks Releases Statement on Aaron Swartz's Death, Launches Open-Source Memorial Site

Sad news in the tech world this weekend with word that the co-founder of Reddit, Aaron Swartz, and since a well-known Internet activist had committed suicide at the young age of 26.

At the time, Swartz was battling his own demons, and the legal system, fighting criminal charges that stemmed from his attempts to make the pay-to-access JSTOR archives public on his own.

ThoughtWorks, has just released the following statement:

Aaron Swartz, a brilliant 26-year-old software developer at ThoughtWorks and renowned internet freedom activist, committed suicide on Friday, January 11^th. ThoughtWorks mourns this tragic loss to his family, friends, co-workers, and the technology and activist communities.

Aaron's technical accomplishments are legion. At a very young age, he was positioned to become a wealthy tech mogul, but Aaron selflessly chose a different path. He used technology in brilliant and courageous ways to empower people and democratize access to information, as vehicles for expression, and as tools for organizing movements.

ThoughtWorkers were honored to support Aaron's family and friends by developing the open-source memorial site,http://rememberaaronsw.com and we hope the broader community will contribute remembrances and code.

Aaron was a leader in our Social Impact Program (SIP). He was the team lead for VictoryKit, an open source project he initiated to empower individuals to start their own internet-based movements around issues. He brought a vast knowledge of technology, activism, politics, economics, and culture, and a keen sense of effective solutions.

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