In light of the suicide of programmer, writer and internet activist Aaron Swartz, we hosted an informal discussion focussing on his 2008 Guerilla Open Access Manifesto as part of the Quickfire series of talks.

Although conversations surrounding open source, digital rights, intellectual property, and copyright spread far beyond Swartz and his actions, his untimely death at the age of 26 highlights an increasingly important debate and the fact that, although masked by reams of data and lines of code, digital activism begins with individuals.

Rather than a memorial or tribute, this event is a chance to draw attention to the complexity of policy surrounding the collection and distribution of information online by which, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, we are all affected. By reflecting on Swartz’s manifesto five years after he wrote it, the talk will be an opportunity to consider his call to arms in the current context and explore the ways in which his invitation to act might be accepted.

Invited speakers are artist Marysia Lewandowska, Associate Editor of Wired.co.uk Olivia Solon, and Jim Killock, Executive Director of Open Rights Group.