Aaron Schwartz

Reddit has a reputation.  Whether it is good or bad is up to whoever is talking about it.  But people ARE talking about it.  If something happens, if something is funny, if something is big news, it is on Reddit.  And the amazing thing about it, is that the news would appear on Reddit nearly instantly, oftentimes far faster than other forms of social media.

Aaron Swartz, the young co-founder of Reddit and RSS newsfeeds, recently committed suicide.  His daring to push the limits of what was acceptable for the internet world launched him to the next level.  Certainly, he faced many lawsuits and plenty of bad-mouthing for his courage.  It has even been speculated that his legal issues gave him the desire to end his short life.

To me, Aaron Swartz’ death is a tragic one.  He was young, a genius, and certainly had the promise of producing powerful products in the future.  By pushing the boundaries, he inspired other internet moguls to do the same.  He also drove the idea that news needed to be out there fast.  After all, it IS the internet and people expect things to be instant.  The faster the better.  I believe Swartz’ revolutionary ideas helped that ideal spread.

Reddit, as far as I’ve used it, it also a great source when you are looking for funny video clips, jokes, etc.  Although I’m not certain which sites emerged first, I do know that Reddit is often preferred over 9GAG, Imagr and other websites of the kinds.  One of the best things that is promoted on the site is the idea of “up-votes” and “down-votes.”   Meaning that other users have the control to not only show that they like your video, but also to express that they don’t.  And whatever you may have posted will literally move up or down the newsfeed due to its popularity.  Showing your support of things on the internet is common.  Showing your dislike, much less so.

So whatever you may think of Aaron Swartz or Reddit in general, you have to admit that he made a huge difference on the internet world.  And I believe his death may solidify his ideas and inspire others to use them more fully.