No, I'm sorry, I have no links with other MIT alums.

One big misunderstanding that would have been able to clear up with aaron swartz had I been aware of his situation, that I hope other readers will now learn, is the issue of how much time he (or other federal defendants) would have faced if convicted.  Federal criminal laws generally include with them a statement of the maximum punishment that can be applied:  They are generally even numbers, such as "5 years", "10 years", "15 years" or so.  However, such statements are basically archaic:  In 1987, the laws were changed (prisoners called it "new law") to calculate sentences based on the defendant's criminal history, the severity of the crime, and other facts.   See   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Federal_Sentencing_Guidelines     

The following sentencing table is part of that Wikipedia article.  I assume that Aaron Swartz would have had a "zero" "criminal history", in other words the Column labelled "I" (0 or 1) would have been used.  An offense level up to 8 would have specified a sentence between 0 and 6 months.   I would have to look up the specific charges to see what he faced, but I strongly doubt that he would have been sentenced to over 2 years, and probably under 1 year. 
       Jim Bell

================quote from Wikipedia begins================

Sentencing table
The sentencing table is an integral part of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.[24]
The Offense Level (1-43) forms the vertical axis of the Sentencing Table. The Criminal History Category (I-VI) forms the horizontal axis of the Table. The intersection of the Offense Level and Criminal History Category displays the Guideline Range in months of imprisonment. "Life" means life imprisonment. For example, the guideline range applicable to a defendant with an Offense Level of 15 and a Criminal History Category of III is 24–30 months of imprisonment.
Sentencing Table (effective Nov. 2012)
(showing months of imprisonment)[25][26]
Offense  Level ↓  Criminal History Category
(Criminal History Points)
I
(0 or 1)		 II
(2 or 3)		 III
(4,5,6)		 IV
(7,8,9)		 V
(10,11,12)		 VI
(13+)
Zone A 1 0-6 0-6 0-6 0-6 0-6 0-6
2 0-6 0-6 0-6 0-6 0-6 1-7
3 0-6 0-6 0-6 0-6 2-8 3-9
4 0-6 0-6 0-6 2-8 4-10 6-12
5 0-6 0-6 1-7 4-10 6-12 9-15
6 0-6 1-7 2-8 6-12 9-15 12-18
7 0-6 2-8 4-10 8-14 12-18 15-21
8 0-6 4-10 6-12 10-16 15-21 18-24
Zone B 9 4-10 6-12 8-14 12-18 18-24 21-27
10 6-12 8-14 10-16 15-21 21-27 24-30
11 8-14 10-16 12-18 18-24 24-30 27-33
Zone C 12 10-16 12-18 15-21 21-27 27-33 30-37
13 12-18 15-21 18-24 24-30 30-37 33-41
Zone D 14 15-21 18-24 21-27 27-33 33-41 37-46
15 18-24 21-27 24-30 30-37 37-46 41-51
16 21-27 24-30 27-33 33-41 41-51 46-57
17 24-30 27-33 30-37 37-46 46-57 51-63
18 27-33 30-37 33-41 41-51 51-63 57-71
19 30-37 33-41 37-46 46-57 57-71 63-78
20 33-41 37-46 41-51 51-63 63-78 70-87
21 37-46 41-51 46-57 57-71 70-87 77-96
22 41-51 46-57 51-63 63-78 77-96 84-105
23 46-57 51-63 57-71 70-87 84-105 92-115
24 51-63 57-71 63-78 77-96 92-115 100-125
25 57-71 63-78 70-87 84-105 100-125 110-137
26 63-78 70-87 78-97 92-115 110-137 120-150
27 70-87 78-97 87-108 100-125 120-150 130-162
28 78-97 87-108 97-121 110-137 130-162 140-175
29 87-108 97-121 108-135 121-151 140-175 151-188
30 97-121 108-135 121-151 135-168 151-188 168-210
31 108-135 121-151 135-168 151-188 168-210 188-235
32 121-151 135-168 151-188 168-210 188-235 210-262
33 135-168 151-188 168-210 188-235 210-262 235-293
34 151-188 168-210 188-235 210-262 235-293 262-327
35 168-210 188-235 210-262 235-293 262-327 292-365
36 188-235 210-262 235-293 262-327 292-365 324-405
37 210-262 235-293 262-327 292-365 324-405 360-life
38 235-293 262-327 292-365 324-405 360-life 360-life
39 262-327 292-365 324-405 360-life 360-life 360-life
40 292-365 324-405 360-life 360-life 360-life 360-life
41 324-405 360-life 360-life 360-life 360-life 360-life
42 360-life 360-life 360-life 360-life 360-life 360-life
43 life life life life life life

 
From: Cari Machet <carimachet@gmail.com>
To: Jim Bell <jamesdbell8@yahoo.com>
Cc: "cypherpunks@cpunks.org" <cypherpunks@cpunks.org>; "lists@silent1.net" <lists@silent1.net>
Sent: Wednesday, January 1, 2014 1:04 AM
Subject: Re: Jacob Appelbaum in Germany

I sincerely wish you could have helped aaron it is all beyond sad and though some of his projects are being carried out i think we have to do more - Yes I am aware you are an alumni - do u have connections with other alumni ? We think the alumni are a pressure point they cld not ignore 

Will connect with you further as the project progresses 

Thanks very very much 

Sent from my iPhone

On 31.12.2013, at 20:59, Jim Bell <jamesdbell8@yahoo.com> wrote:

I am an alum of MIT (Class of 1980; Chemistry).  I've just read the Wikipedia article on Aaron Swartz, and I am very sympathetic to him.   I wish I'd been aware of his situation while he was alive; I might have been able to help, and would have tried to do so.
          Jim Bell


From: Cari Machet <carimachet@gmail.com>
To: Silent1 <lists@silent1.net>
Cc: cpunks <cypherpunks@cpunks.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 8:03 AM
Subject: Re: Jacob Appelbaum in Germany

dear sir

we are reaching out to MIT alumni to make a public call of outrage re
among other things the aaron swartz treatment by MIT would u b willing
to b included?

specifically we would b asking for shifts in functionality not just
complaining to the bricks

THANKS

On 12/31/13, Silent1 <lists@silent1.net> wrote:
> Ahh, Dogecoin, didn't an online wallet service of theirs get hacked last
> week and completely cleaned out of hundreds of thousands of coins?
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cypherpunks [mailto:cypherpunks-bounces@cpunks.org] On Behalf Of
> coderman
> Sent: Tuesday, December 31, 2013 8:51 AM
> To: Griffin Boyce
> Cc: cpunks
> Subject: Re: Jacob Appelbaum in Germany
>
> On Tue, Dec 31, 2013 at 12:32 AM, Griffin Boyce <griffin@cryptolab.net>
> wrote:
>>...
>>  I prefer my shared hallucinations to be in the form of Lindens [1], ...
>
>
> i'll let you cypherpunks in on a secret financial tip:
>  the smart money banks in dogecoin: http://dogecoin.com/

>
>


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