How To Download Articles?

Why did Aaron Swartz use the MIT network to download the JSTOR articles and not the Harvard network?

• "When Aaron downloaded the JSTOR articles, he was a fellow at Harvard's Center for Ethics. Although Harvard provided Swartz access to JSTOR’s services and archive as needed for his research, Swartz used MIT’s computer networks to download the JSTOR articles. Swartz was not affiliated with MIT as a student, faculty member, or employee or in any other manner other than his and MIT’s common location in Cambridge. Nor was Swartz affiliated with MIT as a student, faculty member, or employee or in any other manner other than his and MIT’s common location in Cambridge. Nor was Swartz affiliated in any way with JSTOR." (Paraphrased from http://Aaron%20Swartz%20Indictment%20-%20MIT). If Aaron had downloaded the articles from the Harvard network instead of MIT (and not shared them, like he eventually didn't share), the case against him might have been much weaker. (Possibly better equating it with checking out too many books at a library). On page 3 of the above linked article, his list of offenses have been stated as following: "Between September 24, 2010, and January 6, 2011, Swartz contrived to: a. Break into a restricted computer wiring closet at MIT; b. Access MIT’s network without authorization from a switch within that closet; c. Connect to JSTOR’s archive of digitized journal articles through MIT’s computer network; d. Use this access to download a major portion of JSTOR’s archive onto his computers and computer hard drives; e. Avoid MIT’s and JSTOR’s efforts to prevent this massive copying, measures which were directed at users generally and at Swartz’s illicit conduct specifically; and f. elude detection and identification; all with the purpose of distributing a significant proportion of JSTOR’s archive through one or more file-sharing sites." If he had used the Harvard network, the first 3 offenses would have not applied. Did the fact that he allegedly "stole" them from MIT make a large difference in the prosecution proceedings? Why did he not use the Harvard network to download the articles despite having the access?

• Answer:

  As an independent scholar I use the MIT Hayden Library for research because as long as you are on the MIT network you have access to their subscription services (or at least some of them) on site without an MIT login with a guest ID which you register for with your MAC ID from your laptop. This is not the case at Harvard's library system.