How should people who though like you and ed act differently now?

Aaron did not receive enough help on his defense bills. This likely part of the reason he is now dead, but only part of it.

Given this how should actions change, if at all? If you think the world would be better if people that held similar opinions to you ed's were slightly different, how should they be different and what argument would have moved you in that direction earlier?

< How should people who though like you and ed act differently now?

If his opinions have changed then he is free to express that. People say and do things relying on the information they have at that time. I didn't write anything because it was just a gut thought, which is why I didn't donate.

I'm sure that if Aaron had told his side of the story then it would have hurt him in court, but it may have garnered him public interest and funds.

For his immense abilities, Aaron made a lot of enemies due to his confrontational behaviour. This seems to be getting glossed over at the moment and having a close network of people may have been able to save him.

<Aaron did not receive enough help on his defense bills. This likely part of the reason he is now dead, but only part of it.

Definitely part of the reason, but he also had massive depression issues and talked and wrote about suicide long before.

<Given this how should actions change, if at all? If you think the world would be better if people that held similar opinions to you ed's were slightly different, how should they be different and what argument would have moved you in that direction earlier?

I had an opinion but didn't take action because it was negative and of no use. I had no idea about him other than he was a Reddit co-founder that I hadn't heard of before, that he made a bit of money, that he had broken the law and that someone was asking for money for his defense.

I don't think the world is a better place for having held those views, it is what it is.

I would say what would have changed my mind was either Aaron or his friends arguing his case in public. All the people he worked with are now vocal about how great he is, but where were they back then?

For one example: Reddit could have created a funding drive but didn't as far as I can tell. Do I blame them? No.

At the end of the day it is really sad. Nothing will change that.

Witch hunts only create a quick fix to our need to rationalise our anger and pain. Ed wrote a criticism that could equally have been written by Aaron, I'm sure the regret he feels now is far worse than anything you can say.

Thanks for give detail and frank answer.

> Witch hunts only create a quick fix to our need to rationalise our anger and pain.

They are, at least sometimes, more then just that though. They can arise out of desire to make the world different so the same problem does not happen again, or to change community standards, and/or ones own judgment heuristics. Ultimately ineffective and undesired nonetheless. It is hard to come up with solutions that have a quick enough feedback to satisfy short attention spams as much as a which hunt will unfortunately.

Very true

Remembering the earlier thread through the fog of memory, I assumed he had the funds to pay it himself, and that was cause of much derision, ala "why is he asking for help? He's rich!" and things of that nature.

yeah that was my thought.

Its hard because it is very difficult for our brains to realise the concept that Reddit was profitable but no-where near as profitable as companies that we've never heard about.