> The past two weeks we've seen a chorus of criticism from hackers regarding a justice system that they don't understand. Much of the criticism is accurate, and much of it wasn't even in the right ballpark.

Dead on. The DOJ might have, in a fit of paranoia, jumped to the "evil hacker" stereotype because it didn't understand Swartz's actions, but the "hacker community," in a similar fit of paranoia, jumped to the "big evil government suppressing any threats" stereotype.

I don't think the DOJ understand the "free culture" movement. At the same time, I don't think a lot of hackers understand the public's desire for order, boundaries, and security.