# Anonymous may have knocked MIT & DOJ off the net. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 14, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122 "2013-01-14T01:57:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/1 "2013-01-14T01:57:12Z")
[Link](http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/13/mit-edu-doj-gov-w3-gov-all-currently-down-following-investigation-into-swartz-tragedy/). Now that’s. . .charming. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/2 "2013-01-14T01:58:08Z")
wow ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/3 "2013-01-14T02:06:34Z")
Interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/4 "2013-01-14T02:14:50Z")
_glares at **Anonymous User**._ ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/5 "2013-01-14T02:16:54Z")
Still down. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/6 "2013-01-14T02:32:02Z")
I can get to [www.justice.gov](http://www.justice.gov) with no problem, but MIT.edu seems to be still down. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/7 "2013-01-14T02:32:43Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > _glares at **Anonymous User**._ I actually thought originally that this was a thread about me when I first saw it, but then I saw and found out what it really was. I know, coincidental right? I started a whole tread on MIT that went out of control and now there’s something going on with “Anonymous” and MIT. 😃 Oh wait, I’m not supposed to be posting. I said in one of my threads that I’m not posting on Straight Dope Message Boards anymore due to my bad experiences here. Oh well, this is really my last post. I just felt like I needed to come to this thread. But yes, I’m gone for good. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/8 "2013-01-14T02:35:31Z")
What would they have against MIT? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/9 "2013-01-14T02:37:02Z")
> **[MIT Is Investigating Its Role In Aaron Swartz's Suicide](https://www.businessinsider.com/mit-investigation-aaron-swartz-suicide-2013-1)** > > MIT's investigation into Aaron Swartz's suicide raises critical questions about institutional responsibility and mental health. > [@](#): > > But it was at MIT, while working as a fellow at Harvard’s Safra Center, that Swartz downloaded 4.8 million academic papers from JSTOR, an academic database. (Harvard and MIT have a long history of academic cooperation, with their campuses and facilities more or less open to both institutions’ students and faculties.) > > While MIT and JSTOR had an arrangement providing free access to the database on MIT’s network, Swartz’s pace of downloading reportedly brought down JSTOR’s servers, according to the indictment against him, leading them to block MIT’s access to the articles database for several days. > > JSTOR and Swartz settled their dispute over his actions, but MIT brought in police to investigate Swartz’s activities, an action which led to Swartz’s prosecution. ---
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/10 "2013-01-14T02:37:07Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > I can get to [www.justice.gov](http://www.justice.gov) with no problem, but MIT.edu seems to be still down. [DOJ.gov](http://DOJ.gov) is down, though. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/11 "2013-01-14T02:38:55Z")
Is that their site? When you google “[www.doj.gov](http://www.doj.gov)”, the first link is to [www.justice.gov](http://www.justice.gov). ---
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/12 "2013-01-14T02:42:51Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Is that their site? When you google “[www.doj.gov](http://www.doj.gov)”, the first link is to [www.justice.gov](http://www.justice.gov). [DOJ.gov](http://DOJ.gov) is apparently supposed to automatically redirect to [www.justice.gov](http://www.justice.gov). ---
**Author:** ![YourAdHere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/65b543/32.png) [@YourAdHere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YourAdHere)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/13 "2013-01-14T02:43:34Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > What would they have against MIT? Aaron Schwartz downloaded the files from MIT, maybe they ratted him out. On the one hand I sort of applaud bc I felt so bad for that guy. On the other hand, MIT may be one of the worst entities to commit a computer based crime against. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/14 "2013-01-14T02:50:26Z")
My ancestors hacked Trash80.edu back in the day. Our family is just now getting back on its feet. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/15 "2013-01-14T04:24:05Z")
MIT’s up as of this time. ---
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/16 "2013-01-14T05:29:16Z")
A message (purportedly) from Anonymous is currently posted on the site of MIT’s [cogen plant](http://techblogs.mit.edu/news/2013/01/message-from-anonymous-found-on-cogen-mit-edu/). ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/17 "2013-01-14T05:29:48Z")
> [@YourAdHere](#): > > Aaron Schwartz downloaded the files from MIT, maybe they ratted him out. > > On the one hand I sort of applaud bc I felt so bad for that guy. On the other hand, MIT may be one of the worst entities to commit a computer based crime against. Not really. JSTOR is a publisher of journal articles. Generally they are quite expensive. MIT pays a subscription so that everyone on campus can have access to JSTOR articles for free. Schwartz physically broke into a network closet on the MIT campus and placed a laptop there so that he could exploit MIT’s subscription to JSTOR to download millions of articles for free, intending to redistribute them in some kind of protest. MIT ultimately declined to press charges but apparently people feel they should have done more to discourage the prosecutor from trying to make an example out of Schwartz (probably for political reasons). ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/18 "2013-01-14T05:29:50Z")
> [@Anonymous User](#): > > I know, coincidental right? I started a whole tread on MIT that went out of control and now there’s something going on with “Anonymous” and MIT. 😃 > > Oh wait, I’m not supposed to be posting. I said in one of my threads that I’m not posting on Straight Dope Message Boards anymore due to my bad experiences here. Oh well, this is really my last post. I just felt like I needed to come to this thread. But yes, I’m gone for good. Hey, dude, not so fast…no need to run away from here. Yeah, your MIT thread went a little out of control–but also contained a lot of serious thought. And if you can joke about it , then you’re doing fine!. Most of us are older than you, obviously…but please stick with us , you’ll fit in. ---
**Author:** ![Barrett\_Bonden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5e9695/32.png) [@Barrett\_Bonden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barrett_Bonden)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/19 "2013-01-14T05:55:32Z")
> [@Absolute](#): > > MIT ultimately declined to press charges but apparently people feel they should have done more to discourage the prosecutor from trying to make an example out of Schwartz (probably for political reasons). Earlier Sunday afternoon, MIT’s President Reif had [emailed the MIT community](http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/letter-on-death-of-aaron-swartz.html): > [@](#): > > I have asked Professor Hal Abelson to lead a thorough analysis of MIT’s involvement from the time that we first perceived unusual activity on our network in fall 2010 up to the present. I have asked that this analysis describe the options MIT had and the decisions MIT made, in order to understand and to learn from the actions MIT took. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2013, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122/20 "2013-01-14T06:16:28Z")
This is the least surprising news ever. It was pretty much a given that Anonymous would go after someone in the wake of Aaron Swartz’s suicide and the statement from his family blaming MIT and the federal prosecutors. The only surprising part is that it took more than 24 hours. I’m guessing JSTOR’s press release expressing sorrow and pointing out that they’d asked the US Attorney to drop the case probably spared them a similar fate. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anonymous-may-have-knocked-mit-doj-off-the-net/647122.md?page=2)