Ottawa, Ontario - Richard Stallman speaks at Parliament Hill

If you don't know who Richard M. Stallman (a.k.a. RMS) is, and why I was so thrilled to meet him and hear him speak at Parliament Hill today, it's worth checking out what he's all about. In short, he is a champion of free computer software (free as in freedom) and he fights for computer users' rights. He also wrote the GNU General Public License, commonly known as the GPL. If you are used to using proprietary software like Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, and Adobe Photoshop, to name a few examples, you may not even realize the rights you've signed away in order to use them and the way it can cause big problems later on. Here are a few websites on the subject:

What is free software and why is is so important for society?

The philosophy behind free software

Free Software Foundation - Founded by Richard Stallman, the FSF fights for essential rights for computer users

GNU - used with the Linux kernel to make a completely free operating system

On to my pics:

Stallman (at left) prepares for his speech


Speaking on the steps of Parliament


Stallman's tongue-in-cheek persona: a saint in the Church of Emacs---Saint IGNUcius. This is his way of not taking himself too seriously. It's actually pretty cute. (There's a better pic here. More about this character here.)


All this, and I didn't even get an autograph. {mentally kicking self} Oh well, next time.