That’s a wrap #19
A wrap of today’s SFF news. If you have news to be included, DM or email me.
Today’s news includes triggers for depression and suicide.
GUFF – not that ‘guff’
Congratulations to Mihaela Marija Perković for winning this year’s GUFF. GUFF is an acronym for ‘Get Up and over Fan Fund.’
Reddit co-founder committed suicide two days before trial
Aaron Swartz, co-founder of Reddit and one of the creators of RSS feeds, committed suicide aged 26, rather than face a Wikileaks-type trial.
The News article said:
He had pleaded not guilty, and his federal trial was to begin next month. If convicted, he faced decades in prison and a fortune in fines….
Mr Peters said even the company took the stand that the computer crimes section of the US Attorney’s office in Boston had overreached in seeking prison time for Mr Swartz and insisting – two days before his suicide – that he plead guilty to all 13 felony counts. Mr Peters said JSTOR’s attorney, Mary Jo White – the former top federal prosecutor in Manhattan – had called Stephen Heymann, the lead Boston prosecutor in the case.
“She asked that they not pursue the case,” Mr Peters said….
JSTOR announced this week that it would make more than 4.5 million articles publicly available for free.
So after the suicide of someone threatened with decades of jail and horrendous fines for making articles publicly available for free, the company who hounded him to suicide is – making articles publicly available for free.
NOT IMPRESSED.
If you or someone you know is feeling depressed, seek help. In Australia we have Lifeline, an emergency phone counselling service to tide you over until you can get more personal, targeted assistance. Lifeline’s phone number is 13 11 14.
Some science fact so I don’t melt your brain (responsible publishing)
A mouse eats scorpions and howls at the moon. Apparently this is a thing. See Sara Reardon’s article on the New Scientist.
Kinda brings new meaning to Howl’s Moving Castle.
