Aaron wasn't a trained intelligence officer with years of experience in data B&E. I don't know what you expected from an internet activist. He made a play against a monolith, which is something honorable but stupid considering the cards in his hand. To be honest if there were no cameras in that server room he probably would've gotten away with it. Fuck MIT for even pressing this, then to release it for free anyway. It's so obvious that the point was to send a message. Only way things change is from the inside out by those brave enough willing to compile their evidence and hopefully get out least unscathed as possible. Even then like you said (Snowden et al) those people become martyrs. Either dead or excommunicated from the societies they grew up in. Hefty price to pay, only to have majority of people A) not believe you B) not even really hear your evidence/take it seriously C) make conspiracy theories about you to detract from your credibility.